Cuttack: The public work department's roads and buildings (Cuttack division) has pulled up the private company that was tasked with the solar street lighting project on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Setu over the Kathajodi river for delays.
Official sources said the department issued a notice to the private company after it failed to complete the project even a month after missing the deadline. G-ON Energy Cables, a Bhubaneswar-based company was given the contract on April 5 to complete the project by August 5 for Rs 3.17 crore.
According to the contract, G-ON Energy Cables was to come up with a solar hybrid auxiliary LED street lighting system with light posts designed to accommodate CCTV cameras in the future. Instead, it has only managed to erect poles in less than 50 per cent of the length of the bridge. "The private company has been warned that they would be penalised if the work is not completed by the month end," an official of the roads and buildings (Cuttack division)said on condition of anonymity.
"Though the deadline has not been officially extended, time was allowed till the end of September as the company pleaded that work was affected because of rain, delaying the project," the official said.
"We are monitoring the progress on a daily basis to ensure that the project is completed by September end."
On July 19, 2017, chief minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the bridge that serves as a new link for Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. But the 2.81km bridge has since remained without street lights. As a result, it continues to be plunged into complete darkness after sunset. The delay in lighting up the bridge that connects Cuttack at the Odisha Judicial Academy with Trishulia on the other side of the river has been a cause for concern.
Social activist Chittaranjan Mohanty said: "The two major aspects involving safety of commuters on the bridge is lighting and security. It's disappointing that the bridge is still without lights after more than a year of its inauguration." The public works department spent nearly Rs 114 crore and six years to build the bridge.
