Now that the underpass is ready, its time to maintain it. So BBMP is asking for private parties to undertake maintenance of Cauvery junction underpass on BOT basis (tender here). Private parties keeping the underpass clean and painted etc while they make money displaying advertisements, that is fine. But after reading the document, I was confused as to what is the "build" part of BOT (build, operate transfer) here. I thought the underpass was ready. BBMP has mentioned a penalty clause for delay in construction:
... Time Schedule : (1) First violation : Rs. 15,000 per Under Pass if not completed development work within 60 days and with penalty an additional time of 30 days from completion of 60 days will be given. (2) Second violation: Rs. 25,000 per Under Pass and with penalty an additional time of 5 days from the completion of 90 days.
What more construction is waiting to happen at the underpass? Anyways. Moving over to maintenance, there are penalty there clauses too, nice!
... violations in maintenance relating to (a) to (f) will attract levy of penalties as follows :
1st violation : Rs. 2,000 per Under Pass and 7 days to rectify.
2nd violation : Rs. 3,000 per Under Pass and 7 days to rectify.
3rd violation : Rs. 5,000 per Under Pass and 7 days to rectify.
4th violation : Rs. 10,000 per Under Pass and 7 days to rectify.
And what are the clauses for maintenance? Here:
a. Keep the Under Pass including the display board and other optional and surrounding clean, hygienic & presentable at all times.
b. Arrange to clean the Under Pass and surrounding daily in the Morning and Evening.
c. Forthwith under Pass or any part thereof upon any damage, loss, breakage being noticed or reported or occurring and reconstruct when repair is not feasible/sufficient to present a satisfactory condition.
d. The Under Pass has to be kept in good condition and maintain the surroundings in aesthetic condition.
e. The Under Pass has to be painted at least once in a year.
f. The Tenderer shall keep the Under Pass clean from the pestering and replace the fused lights time to time.
One more thing BBMP. Is there a number or email address where I can report maintenance violations? If you encourage public to watch for these violations, that will you some monitoring work, which you anyway struggle to do as you are so desperately short-staffed. As long as you 1) require submission of pictures or video as proof of spotting a violation, and 2) guarantee some identity protection to watchful citizens, I think that citizens of Bangalore will keep the private party maintaining this underpass honest.
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