August 11, 2025: An RTI appeal filed by advocate Godfrey Pimenta has disclosed that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has so far levied only Rs 5,000 in penalties against the contractor responsible for the delayed construction of the Gopal Krishna Gokhale bridge in Andheri.
This finding contradicts earlier claims suggesting that fines of around Rs 3 crore had been imposed. In its reply, the BMC stated: “At present the work is carried out as per schedule approved by competent authority.” A payment bill dated September 19, 2024, attached to the RTI response, explicitly cites a “Penalty of Rs 5000/-.”
Pimenta questioned the nominal sum, noting: “The project cost exceeded Rs 87 crore and was delayed by two years. How can only Rs 5,000 be charged as penalties? We were told earlier that 5–6% of the project cost would be taken as penalties, which would amount to more than Rs 3 crore.” He warned that such leniency could set a troubling precedent for future civic contracts, stressing that penalties must be applied appropriately to underline the importance of project planning.
A senior official from the BMC’s bridges department explained that penalties vary depending on the nature of the delay, with severe delays typically attracting higher fines.
While the RTI reply does not specify the final penalty, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar told mid-day: “An extension was given to the contractor subject to penalty, so it would certainly be imposed. Final payments are yet to be made to the contractor and will only be processed after deduction of the penalty. The penalty will be calculated strictly as per contract conditions.” The BMC also confirmed that staff have been instructed to determine the exact penalty for the Gokhale ROB project within the next two to three days.
Source: Mid-day
