Former deputy Mayor raises concerns over Shimla's 24x7 water supply project

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 29 (ANI): Tikender Singh Panwar, the former Deputy Mayor of Shimla, has written a letter to Prabodh Saxena, the Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh, expressing concerns regarding the ongoing 24x7 water supply project in Shimla, which is currently in the bidding phase.
In his letter, Tikender Singh Panwar highlighted several issues related to the bidding process and project costs, urging immediate action, including the cancellation of the bid process.
Panwar, who was a pioneer in conceiving the project during his tenure at the Shimla Municipal Corporation, raised the key points.
The project's estimated cost was around Rs 490 crore as approved by the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO) in 2022, the project was initially bid out in October 2022, with the same company quoting approximately Rs 790 crore. The bid was later cancelled.
In a turn of events, the same company quoted around Rs 920 crore for the project in the latest bid round, which is Rs 131 crore higher than its previous bid.   
Panwar expressed concerns about potential cartelization among the L1 and L2 bidders and called for further investigation.
In response to these issues, Tikender Singh Panwar demanded the appropriate actions.
The SJPNL should not rush to award the project and must provide item-wise justification for the rates based on the HPPWD schedule of rates.
A cost-benefit analysis of the bid should be conducted and made public, allowing taxpayers to understand the project's costs and its impact on their taxes or water charges.
An assessment of SJPNL's capacity to handle such projects should be conducted, considering the alleged mismanagement of the DBO project.
Panwar reiterated his earlier demand for the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to evaluate SJPNL's functioning and investigate major projects undertaken by the organization.
Panwar concluded the letter by warning that if the highlighted issues were not addressed, he would consider taking the matter to the public and the court of law.
The concerns raised by Tikender Singh Panwar underscore the importance of transparency, cost-efficiency, and accountability in public infrastructure projects to ensure the best outcomes for the citizens of Shimla. (ANI)