Kochi: CCRC contractor on notice

Kochi: INKEL Limited, the agency entrusted with the work of the building of Cochin Cancer Research Centre (CCRC), has served a termination notice on Chennai-based P&C Projects Privated Limited, the contractor undertaking the civil works, due to its failure to undertake the construction work on time.

 INKEL had sublet the construction works to P&C Projects.

However, the health minister K K Shylaja intervened to give a breather to the firm at the review meeting  held on Sunday with special officer and district collector S. Suhas and CCRC director Dr Moni Kuriakose.  She has given two months to cover the amount of work stipulated by INKEL failing which P&C will have to go.

The special officer has been asked to assess the work in next fortnight and if the desired progress is not made in a month, INKEL can proceed on retendering the work so that no time delay takes place in the project. This decision was taken after the INKEL authorities informed the minister they will need another one month to retender and award the project.

INKEL has asked P&C Projects to deploy 400 workers for the project instead of the 200 workers it has currently deployed, in order to accelerate the work. INKEL officials are of the opinion that the project can meet the deadline if the number of employes is doubled.

The termination letter was given to P&C by INKEL after it missed two ‘milestone deadlines’ for the project. On both occasions INKEL slapped notices on them but it did not produce any results following which it decided to slap the termination letter.

INKEL authorities have insisted P&C to confrom to CPWD standards in construction. P&C had to demolish some of the works and redo the same on INKEL’s insistence on quality. When P&C representatives pointed out this as the reason for delay in the works in the review meet, the minister made it clear that there will not be any dilution in quality norms stipulated by National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH) and asked the company to not to cite any such excuse.

The minister has now asked P&C to complete the whole construction works by July next year.

After one year of construction, only 11 percent of the construction has been completed with one storey of the eight storey building getting completed. However, INKEL officials are confident of meeting the deadline if double workforce is deployed by P&C.