Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners (HRBC) is in a scurry not to miss the September 30 deadline set by Japan Bank for International Cooperation for completion of its tram-track repair work in the city.
Along with its approval to use Rs 20 crore for the project, the Japanese funding agency has also conveyed its terms of the agreement.
The bank has made it clear to the state transport officials that it will not extend the deadline by even a single day and will wind up its bank accounts immediately after September 30. Incomplete work, if any, will then have to be funded by the state government.
The HRBC had made a surplus of Rs 20 crore from the recently-finished four flyover projects in the city. The government had then urged the bank to allow the funds to be used for repairing tram tracks on Rashbehari Avenue and New Park Street, repairing and widening of Canal East Road and improving the Maniktala four-point crossing.
Earlier, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had to apologise to the bank for the delay in completing the Park Street flyover. Keen not to face the embarrassment again, the chief minister had, from the start of the road repair project, directed the HRBC to hasten work.
Officials say the state has been lobbying with the Centre for more JBIC funds for other transport infrastructure projects. Delhi, they said, has sought a report on the current status of the foreign-funded projects in Calcutta.
The Assembly subject committee on transport, comprising MLAs from all political parties, will tour the city on Friday to assess the progress of work. ?It will be a discredit for the state if we fail to prove our efficiency. After all, we are using foreign funds,?? said subject committee chairman Sadhan Pande.
HRBC vice-chairman Sadhan Banerjee, however, held out the assurance that all measures were in place to meet the September 30 deadline.
?That the work has to be completed within the stipulated period was one of the main conditions before awarding the deal to the contractor. We have also warned the firm that it has to spend from its pocket to finish the work post-expiry of the deadline,?? Banerjee added.
