The State health department has blacklisted the Engineering Project India Limited (EPIL) from all its construction related works. The punitive action on the company was taken after the quality of construction of the building of the Government Medical College Rudrapur was found to be of inferior quality. The foundation of this building will now be dismantled and a new building will be constructed in its place. The secretary health, R Rajesh Kumar told The Pioneer that following complaints in the construction of 14 buildings of the medical college Rudrapur, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee was asked to undertake an analysis of quality of construction. A professor of the civil engineering department of IIT Roorkee conducted an inspection of the construction site and advised that the under construction structures should be dismantled. Apart from this a third party agency ( Quality Austria Central Asia) was also roped in by the medical education department for the purpose. This agency also recommended dismantling of the buildings and their reconstruction. Kumar said that EPIL was given a contract for construction of the building of the medical college and the directorate of medical education released a sum of Rs 50 crore for the company. The company has surrendered a sum of Rs 18.22 crore to the department and the State administration has now directed the company to return the remaining amount. The secretary said that the EPIL will not be given any work by the department and the company concerned and the State government has been informed about the decision.
