Karnataka Minister Eshwar Khandre asks officials to blacklist Larsen & Toubro for ‘delaying’ works

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Eshwar Khandre Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Eshwar Khandre has directed that Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) be blacklisted for alleged slow progress of work in drinking water projects.

The direction came after the final notice issued to the company that is executing drinking water facilities to 388 rural habitations in Dharwad district, Kalghatgi town, and eight en route rural habitations of Saundatti taluk, Belagavi district from the Renukasagar reservoir (Navilutheertha dam).

Sources said that though the work was awarded on April 20, 2022, to be completed by October 19, 2024, the progress on site was very slow. The daily pipeline progress is also less than 500 m per day, sources said. It is learnt that instruction had been issued to complete trial run of all 126 villages, which are not affected by the proposals submitted by the Forest Department, to be completed within December, 2026, and the company was instructed to submit detailed week-wise completion plan for pipe procurement, laying, hydro testing and trial run.

Sources said that the officials informed the Minister during a meeting that despite the instructions, pipes allegedly had not been purchased, adequate number of workers had not been deployed and work was progressing slow, and that progress report was not being submitted.

In response, the Minister asked officials to black list L& T and issue final notice to all contractors who were delaying implementation of work, especially at a time when the State was reeling under drought.