Varanasi: Municipal Commissioner Himanshu Nagpal conducted an extensive inspection of development projects across the city on Saturday and ordered penalties, show-cause notices and disciplinary action against agencies and officials for poor-quality work, delays and negligence.During his visit to the road construction work being carried out under the CM Grid Scheme at Kachehri, Nagpal found the quality of interlocking work unsatisfactory and progress significantly behind schedule despite previous warnings. He imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh on the executing agency and directed officials to expedite the work.The commissioner also expressed displeasure over illegal encroachments and unhygienic conditions along the same stretch, where shopkeepers had allegedly occupied pedestrian pathways by placing tables and chairs. He instructed the zonal officer to impose a fine of Rs 5,000 on each encroacher.At Ashok Vihar Colony’s Park-4, being developed under the Smart City project, the commissioner found broken pathway tiles and boundary walls, a damaged rainwater harvesting chamber and slow progress in soil-filling work. He directed officials to remove the existing contractor, assign the project to a new vendor and initiate action against the previous agency.Inspecting the Tehsil Sadar drain, Nagpal found accumulated silt despite claims that desilting work had already been completed. A penalty of Rs 50,000 was imposed on the concerned agency. He also directed officials to ensure sewer line connectivity and construct necessary chambers.The commissioner further instructed immediate cleaning of the drain stretching from Bhojubir to Jeevan Deep School in view of the approaching monsoon.During inspections of under-construction multi-storey buildings in Bhojubir and Lahurabir, he noted sluggish progress and warned contractors to deploy additional manpower and accelerate construction. Failure to do so, he said, could lead to termination of contracts.Nagpal also took serious note of the failure to begin construction of a tin shed and pathway for the milk market at Police Line Chauraha even after two months. A show-cause notice was issued to Executive Engineer M K Singh in connection with the delay.In addition, the commissioner found poor sanitation conditions on the divider and flyover stretch between Pandeypur Kali Mata Mandir and Police Line Chauraha. He directed officials to issue a show-cause notice to Sanitary Inspector Sujit Gupta, withhold his salary and initiate departmental action against the concerned sanitation supervisor.s
