Govt fines Ramban Tunnel contractor Rs 8.5 cr for collapse that killed 10

After five months of investigation, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has taken action against the contractor of the Ramban Tunnel project on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, which collapsed in May, causing the death of 10 workers inside.

Ceigall India-Patel Engineering, the joint venture responsible for executing the project has been fined Rs 8.46 crore and banned from all central government projects for six months. The company will also have to rectify the issues that led to the collapse at its own cost.

The company will have to submit the penalty amount within 10 days.

Moreover, the highway authority has ordered the immediate removal of key personnel involved in the project and their debarment for a period of one year.

On May 19, shooting stones started falling off a location due to landslides at the under-construction Adit Tunnel at Khooni Nallah. Before workers could be moved out, a huge rock mass fell above the false steel portal erected for the construction of adit which caved in, leading to the trapping of 12 workers at that spot, the ministry had earlier stated.

"It is evident that the EPC (engineering procurement construction) contractor has failed to execute the works with proper investigations and discharge its obligation with regard to the safety measures as was required in accordance with the provision of EPC Agreement leading to loss of lives of the workers,” the ministry of road transport and highway said in its order.

The probe has found that the location and various technical assessments by Ceigall-Patel were unfavourable, and the company’s negligence resulted in the death of the workers. Highlighting technical faults, the ministry said, “This clearly established that the geological assessment done by the EPC Contractor was faulty which was also inferred by the Expert Committee.”

The Rs 850-crore twin tube tunnel work in four-laning from Digdole to Panthyal on the Jammu-Srinagar highway was awarded to Ceigall-Patel and the construction work started on February 1.