Hubli
After an inordinate delay in approval for the LED lights project in the twin cities, yielding to the pressure by corporators and due to increasing complaints regarding defunct street lights, the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) has started installing LED lights in all 82 wards on its own, at a cost of Rs 2 lakh per ward.
Two different agencies are installing LED lights in eight zones out of total 12 and for the remaining four zones, a tender will be floated shortly.
Intending to install 75,000 street lights in the twin cities, the HDMC had floated a tender of Rs 94 crore. Two contractors participated in the process and technically qualified in the month of January 2023 itself.
As the amount of tender is more than Rs 50 crore, the file was forwarded to the Government for clearance. Since then, the HDMC has been waiting for the final nod from the tender scrutiny committee headed by a retired judge that has been specially formed by the government. SM Ganachari, Head of the Electrical Department said that as the approval for replacing all street lights with LED project is getting delayed, the pressure from corporators increased.
Looking at the increasing demand from the corporators, and based on the resolution passed during the general body meeting last month, HDMC Commissioner sanctioned Rs 2 lakh to each ward for LED street lights.
The tender process was completed in the jurisdiction of eight zonal offices, and two agencies were given a work order for installation of LED street lights in each wards. Two agencies have already initiated the process of installation of LED street lights and the number of street lights will be decided based on their power capacity, he added.
