On February 3, PWD issued a show-cause notice to two government engineers and project executor L&T, saying that ‘fault in design’ and ‘other quality parameter-related issues’ can’t be resolved without a ‘major revamp and maintenance/overhaul of the entire project’. It added that L&T has failed to do repairs. PWD has asked L&T to deposit ₹500 crore, and the firm has reportedly made a counterclaim of ₹500 crore against PWD. In this dizzying blame game, it is Delhiites who will suffer.
Yes, India’s project execution pace and quality have improved over the last few decades. But there is a lesson in this mess-up. Spending massive amounts of taxpayers’ money on infra – India is expected to spend ₹143 lakh crore in FY24-30, double that of FY17-23 – is welcome. But what is essential is investing time and effort to ensure that projects are top-notch and at least last their lifecycle. And responsibilities must be fixed if they are not up to scratch. Most importantly, it is crucial that efforts be made to maintain infrastructure. This isn’t a tough ask in an age when AI, sensors and robotics can augment efforts.
