Abattoir: MCD again comes under fire from SC

New Delhi, July 13 (UNI) The MCD again came under fire from the Supreme Court for not being able to complete the construction of modern abattoir at Ghazipur in East Delhi within the deadline of June 30, fixed by the apex court.

A bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhan, S B Sinha and A K Mathur this time also took the contractor to task for not being able to install the machinery in time despite monitoring by the apex court.

The court adjourned the hearing till August 8.

Cost of the project has already gone up from Rs 65 crore to Rs 185 crore. The apex court has told the MCD that the civic body was responsible for the huge loss.

The modernised abattoir is to replace an outdated slaughter house at Idgah which is polluting the environment in the congested area of the walled city.

The court today told the counsel for the contractor who had already received Rs 85 crore from the MCD, that the court was not interested in explanations for delay in the completion of the project.

Even the warning issued by the apex court that the project may be handed over to some other agency if MCD failed to deliver, has not worked.

There has been demand by opposition party in the MCD for a CBI inquiry into the alleged scandal.

Counsel for the MCD is often not properly briefed by MCD officials about the progress of the project and the fact has been pointed out by the court earlier also.

UNI AKS/SC RP HS1850