street lights

Aerospace Park

HDPE pipe

LTug cable

bracket

The SR for the year 2019-20 has fixed the price of 150 watt LED street light at Rs 12,300. But still the KIADB has paid Rs 52,890 for each. I don’t know why they didn’t bother to verify the cost –Keshav B S , President, Karnataka PWD Electrical Contractors Association

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A 150 watt LED street light is available for Rs 5,000 in the market but the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) engineers are paying a whopping Rs 52,890 to an electrical contractor for the same. Let us say that again. This is for just one light.The KIADB has engaged an electrical contractor to install 186at, near Kempegowda International Airport. Rs 52,890 does not include the cost of the electric pole,and. This amount is for the LED street light only. The KIADB has paid Rs 21,055 for each electric pole, Rs 3,395 for each of the 2 metre brackets, Rs 203 towards the cable and Rs 321 for each HDPE pipe, separately.While the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has paid only Rs 11,125 for each 150 watt LED street light, the KIADB clearly does not mind paying Rs 52,890 for each of the 150 watt LED street lights.“The cost of the LED street light has been quoted 45 per cent above the Schedule of Rates (SR). While the SR for the year 2014-15 has fixed the price of each of the 150 watt LED street light at Rs 43,000, the SR for the year 2019-20 has fixed the price of 150 watt LED street light at Rs 12,300. But still they have paid Rs 52,890 for each. I don’t know why the KIADB authorities did not bother to verify the cost of the LED street lights available in the open market,’’ said Keshav B S , President, Karnataka PWD Electrical Contractors Association.Expressing shock and dismay over the exorbitant price fixed for a 150 watt LED street light, Ravi Krishna Reddy, president, Karnataka Rashtra Samiti, said, “The KIADB has been known for cheating farmers in paying them compensation while acquiring their lands for developing special economic zones (SEZs). The KIADB should be banned from developing industrial parks since it has become a hindrance in the development of industries in the state. The KIADB engineers are looting public money.”Coming down heavily on the KIADB engineers for paying extra money to the electrical contractor, freedom fighter and activist H S Doreswamy has demanded a thorough inquiry into the scam.“The KIADB engineers should not waste public money. It is their responsibility to check the price of an LED street light in the open market. Paying such a huge amount to the electrical contractor is nothing but daylight robbery,’’ said Doreswamy.When contacted, Chandra Kumar, technical assistant, KIADB, said that he followed the SR for the year 2014-15 and did not consider the price of a 150 watts LED street light specified in the SR for the year 2019-20.“I have not done any wrong in this matter. I have followed the norms,’’ said Chandra Kumar.When KIADB Chief Engineer-1, Rama M was asked why infrastructure work was assigned to the department whose role is to establish electric power stations, he said that assigning the infrastructure work to the same contractor was inevitable since the work on two sub stations was in progress and there was not much time to assign the shifting of existing electric poles and installing new street lights.According to the KIADB administrative set up, Chief Engineeer-2 T R Swamy is assigned to carry out infrastructural works at the Aerospace Park while Chief Engineer-1 Rama M is assigned to look after power stations.“We have not violated any norms,’’ said Rama M.Finally, the KIADB engineers’ generosity to electrical contractors is set to escalate the land cost for those who want to set up industrial units at the Aerospace Park.