275 roads, Rs 380 crore work pending as BMC moves to drop two contractors

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to dismiss the contracts of two contractors working on Mumbai's road-concretisation project due to sluggish progress. As per officials, around 275 roads remain unfinished, with the project costing an estimated Rs 380 crore in pending work. The contractors, NCC Limited and Eagle Infra India Limited, were entrusted with the task of road work in various parts of Mumbai, including Fort, Churchgate, Nariman Point, Byculla, Worli, Dadar, and the eastern suburbs such as Chembur, Ghatkopar, Mankhurd, Mulund and Kanjurmarg.

However, the contractors have been progressing slowly, leading to the revocation of their contracts. The work that was yet to commence will be included in a new tender, likely to be announced early next year. This marks the first time since the project's inception in 2023 that the BMC is officially revoking contractors' contracts.

The BMC has awarded contracts worth Rs 17,700 crore for concretising 2,175 roads across the island city and suburbs, covering a total distance of 712 km. The project was initiated by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, aiming to replace all existing asphalt roads in Mumbai with concrete roads to tackle the issue of potholes.

A senior official confirmed the decision and stated that the proposal has been forwarded to Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide for final approval. However, the current rate of progress suggests that the target of completing all work by March 2027 is highly improbable. Officials have informed the contractors to complete only the work already underway and refrain from starting any new work, as the remaining portion of the tender will be revoked.

The BMC will then issue a fresh tender for completing the remaining roads. The contractors claim they have not received any communication regarding the proposed contract revocation.