The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will not blacklist contractors who have repeatedly done unsatisfactory work in the last three years on the city’s nullahs resulting in floods at many places.

The civic administration has said that it can take action by levying a penalty but will resist blacklisting the contractors as it is more interested in ‘getting the work done.’

Municipal Commissioner Jairaj Phatak said at a press conference on Friday, “Just because particular contractors have been found guilty of shoddy work doesn’t mean we blacklist them. We will take harsher steps as there is no provision to blacklist contractors.”

Phatak said blacklisting contractors would also imply hiring new ones. “A lot of time will be wasted in the process of appointing a new contractor. We are more interested in getting the work done instead of blacklisting the contractors,” he added.

Civic officials said that there are very few contractors in the city for carrying out the desilting work.

At times the same contractors have subsidiaries working in some other part of the city. “So even if we blacklist the contractor it is possible that he may be carrying the same type of work at another location. There have been instances of shoddy contractors changing the name of the company to get a fresh contract,” he said.

According to the Storm Water Drains department, there are five contractors in the city and eastern suburbs who have done shoddy work for last three years.

However, the civic administration has decided to give them one more chance. “If they do not complete the work satisfactorily this year strict action will be taken against them,” Phatak said.

... contd.