L&T faces blacklisting over water project delays

BENGALURU Infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) faces potential blacklisting by the Karnataka government following severe delays in executing a critical multi-village drinking water supply scheme across Dharwad and Belagavi districts, according to official reports. Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Minister Eshwar B. Khandre issued the strict directives during a high-level review meeting assessing the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) across the state. RDPR officials informed the minister that L&T which was contracted to supply drinking water from the Renukasagar reservoir to 388 habitations in Dharwad district alongside villages in Kalaghatagi and Savadatti had failed to make meaningful progress. Despite receiving a final administrative notice, the firm reportedly neglected to initiate pipeline procurement, omitted mandatory weekly progress reports, and failed to deploy adequate labor resources, leading to severely stalled works. Minister Khandre expressed deep frustration over the contractor's lackadaisical approach. He recalled a previous review meeting held on September 11, during which he explicitly instructed contractors and departmental officials to accelerate pending infrastructure works. Because little improvement followed those warnings, the minister ordered penal action, including blacklisting the firm. Furthermore, Khandre directed officials to issue immediate final notices to all other contractors lagging behind schedule, emphasizing that project delays would not be tolerated unless caused by pending statutory forest clearances. Highlighting the urgency of the initiative, the minister noted that timely completion of rural water schemes remains paramount as Karnataka grapples with water security challenges driven by deficient seasonal rainfall. Officials have been instructed to maintain strict oversight to ensure that basic drinking water delivery under the Jal Jeevan Mission reaches rural households without further administrative or logistical setbacks.