Jamshedpur : The�State Road Construction Department�has floated the tender for the toll collection on Tata-Kandra Road. Though the department had floated such tender thrice earlier since October, 2014 but there were no bidders. The department has floated tneder for the fifth time.
Chief engineer, PWD-Road Construction department MP Chowdhury said that the department decided to re-tender for toll collection on the Tata-Kandra Road and they would continued to do so until any contractor turns up for the tender. The tender amount remains same-�� Rs 15.52 crore�for two years.
“We have floated tender for as many as 18 times for the construction of a road in Latehar district. When we could re-tender for a road construction in naxal-infested Latehar district so many times, why not follow the same policy in the matter of toll collection tender on Tata-Kandra Road,” said Chowdhury.
“I know target of Rs 15.52 crore of toll collection on Tata-Kandra Road in two years is not a tough target but I cannot say why no one is coming forward for participating in the tender process.
The Tata-Kandra Road is economically viable for collection of toll and any contractor can meet the target easily,” Chowdhury said.
But some senior official in the PWD – Road Construction sounded sceptical that the incomplete service lanes on either side of the four-lane must be the main reason behind reluctance to participate in the toll tender process.
“The toll is supposed to be collected mainly from the commercial vehicles and four-wheelers that ply on the main carriage lane of the Tata-Kandra Road.
But in the event of the service lanes remaining incomplete, the smaller vehicles, including the two wheelers are also plying on the main carriage lanes, leaving scope for creating confusing situation. We, therefore, understand unless the service lanes on either side of the four-lane is completed no contractor or agency will be ready to submit the tender,” said the officer on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile officials of PWD, Road Construction’s Adityapur division, claimed that they are trying to complete the service lanes by removing encroachment.
The 15.3 kms-long Tata-Kandra Road in adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan linking Jamshedpur was set up at a cost of Rs 185 crore on PPP basis.� As per the agreement, the department has to pay Rs 22 crore to JARDCL, the company that built the road, every six months.
Notably, over 2,000 heavy vehicles, including trailers, vans and other mode of vehicles every day-round-the-clock to Kandra-Tata four lane which is the artery of Adityapur industrial hub, linking to steel city of Jamshedpur on the one hand and NH-33 on the other hand through the Kandra-Chandil road.
The ambitious Adityapur-Kandra four-lane project linking the steel city of Jamshedpur with that of Adityapur industrial area in the adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district, had begun in April 2011.� The Jharkhand Accelerated Road Development Company Limited (JARDCL), which is a sister concern of the construction major Infrastructure and� Leasing Financial Services (ILFS) was entrusted to complete the road within a time frame of two years, ending on April 20, 2013.
Meanwhile, Jan Kalyan Morcha (JKM) functionaries said that they have submitted a memorandum to the Seraikela-Kharsawan deputy commissioner �and also to the road construction department, expressing the concern as the step of toll collection without completing the service lane will give rise to road mishap.
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