Pune: The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has begun taking action against engineers responsible for overseeing substandard road repairs and paving block work in the city.
This follows the recent blacklisting of 11 contractors involved in these projects. City engineer Makarand Nikam confirmed that notices have been issued to 25 assistant and junior engineers who were tasked with monitoring the work but failed to ensure quality standards.
Earlier, 11 contractors had secured tenders for municipal projects such as road repair, paving block installation, and jogging track development at rates 40 to 45 percent lower than standard bids.
The PCMC’s vigilance department, in collaboration with the Government College of Engineering (COEP), conducted a detailed inspection of these works.
The inspection revealed severe deficiencies, including sunken paving blocks, incomplete repairs, work not adhering to municipal standards, and potholes forming soon after road repairs. As a result, the Municipal Corporation decided to blacklist the contractors for one year and recover double the cost of the deficient work.
In addition to penalizing the contractors, the PCMC’s vigilance committee investigated the engineers responsible for supervising these projects. It was found that despite the evident poor quality of work, the engineers had neglected to take corrective action.
Notices have now been served to 25 engineers, including assistant and junior engineers, asking for an explanation for their inaction. Further disciplinary measures will be determined based on their responses.
City engineer Makarand Nikam noted that after receiving explanations from the engineers, the issue will be discussed with the municipal commissioner to decide on the next steps.
The engineers' failure to monitor and address the quality issues in these municipal projects has raised concerns about accountability within the department.
Social activist Maruti Bhapkar emphasized the need for holding all responsible parties accountable, including executive engineers, regional officers, and the private inspection agency tasked with ensuring the work met municipal standards. Bhapkar also called for both administrative and criminal action against those responsible for the substandard work.
