Karnataka Orders L&T Blacklisted Over Delayed Jal Jeevan Mission Project
Villages in Dharwad and Belagavi waiting for piped water from the Renukasagar reservoir could see the contract change hands.
Image: By arrangement / Deccan Chronicle
Karnataka’s Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Eshwar B Khandre on Wednesday, 11 November, directed officials to blacklist Larsen & Toubro (L&T) over delays in a Jal Jeevan Mission drinking water project at Dharwad and Belagavi. He gave the order at a review meeting at Vikas Soudha in Bengaluru, Deccan Chronicle reported. Officials told him the company had not started buying water pipelines, had not deployed enough workers and had not submitted progress reports even after a final notice.
388 Habitations Still Waiting
The project is meant to carry water from the Renukasagar reservoir to 388 rural habitations in Dharwad district and to villages in Kalghatgi and Saundatti. According to Indian Opinion’s summary of the reports, the contract was awarded on 20 April 2022 with a completion date of 19 October 2024. The Hindu and The Economic Times report that daily pipeline laying is under 500 metres, and that a trial run for 126 villages is due in December 2026. Until the work is finished, those villages depend on existing sources.
A Warning in September Went Unheeded
Khandre had met contractors and officials on 11 September, told them to speed up work and asked for weekly progress reports. Officials said L&T did not improve. Khandre also ordered final notices to other agencies that have missed deadlines on multi-village water projects, and said delays would be accepted only where forest clearance is pending. He also flagged weak power supply as a hurdle for rural water systems and asked officials to take it up with the power distribution companies.
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No Reply From L&T Yet
None of the reports seen by IPB carries a response from L&T. Blacklisting needs a formal order, and the company can still respond to the notice, so it is not yet clear whether the contract will be terminated and re-tendered. The scheme is also covered on the Jal Jeevan Mission tag page, and state stories are listed under Karnataka.
Source: Based on reporting by Deccan Chronicle, The Hindu and The Economic Times.
Image: By arrangement / Deccan Chronicle.
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