STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: NHIDCL (National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.) has terminated its agreement with yet another construction company for the slow progress of four-lane work in upper Assam.
A few days ago, NHIDCL terminated its deal with M/s Manaranjan Brahma for the End of Moran Bypass to Bogibeel Junction near Lepetkata in the Dibrugarh district, also for the slow progress of the project work.
According to NHIDCL sources, it awarded the 37.80-km Jorhat-Jhanji four-lane stretch on the National Highway-37 to Vijeta Projects—Sweety Infrastructure (JV) on November 5, 2021. NHIDCL gave the JV company the appointment date of February 9, 2022, since that is when the work would start. According to the original schedule of the package, the work was to be completed by August 8, 2023. However, the NHIDCL observed that the works were moving at a snail’s pace, and that led the NHIDCL to face the wrath of the public. NHIDCL had to communicate with the JV company, asking it to speed up the work, but to no avail. The JV company failed to achieve several milestones (portions of work to be completed at specific intervals of time). On July 31, 2023, the cumulative physical progress of the project was 35.48 percent. NHIDCL had to issue an intention-to-terminate notice to the JV company. Taking all pros and cons into consideration, NHIDCL Headquarters, New Delhi, terminated its work agreement with the JV company recently.
Earlier, it took time for the NHIDCL to float tenders for the remaining work in the event of the termination of awarded works. However, this time around, NHIDCL has already issued a tender notice for the construction of the remaining works in the Jorhat-Jhanji stretch of the NH-37. NHIDCL divided the remaining works of the package into four stretches so as to complete the work at the earliest. According to sources in the Guwahati Regional Office of NHIDCL, the tender evaluation process for the remaining works of the package is going on at NHIDCL headquarters in New Delhi.
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