Too many cooks lead to railway rebuilding order
By Zha Minjie |
November 14, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
China yesterday ordered all the jerry-built parts of a railway project in the northeast that were constructed by unqualified workers, including some cooks, to be rebuilt, and several railway officials were punished.
The parts that needed to be rebuilt included two bridges on the Songhua River and 16 piers designed to support the elevated railway track.
The Ministry of Railways said yesterday that the Yusong Railway project, linking Jingyu County and Songjianghe County in Jilin Province, involved problems of "contract scam, illegal subcontract that led to poor construction."
Earlier reports exposed that unlicensed workers were building the piers on a cross-river rail bridge after a bogus company subcontracted projects to them.
Lu Tianbo, a migrant worker, told Xinhua news agency that "he used to be a cook" and other builders in charge of constructing bridges and tunnels had no knowledge of construction and their credentials were not checked.
Safety concerns were raised after Lu and other workers admitted they cut corners on materials. Bridge piers supposed to be reinforced with cement were instead filled with rubble.
The ministry asked the Shenyang Railway Bureau and China Railway No. 9 Group, the main contractor on the project, to investigate further after the media exposure that shocked the country, at a time when the rapid pace of railway construction attracted huge criticisms concerning safety and corruption.
"China Railway No. 9 Group shoulders the main responsibilities," the ministry said. All the 16 piers involved in the incident should be rebuilt and 90 percent of the loss will be borne by the company. The remaining 10 percent loss will be covered by the construction supervision company, said the authorities.
The construction company is disqualified from future bidding for railway projects.
Ministry officials added that the Songyu railway project manager was sacked and would be barred from being involved in rail projects.
Related officials with Shenyang railway bureau and the China Railway No. 9 Group will also be severely punished, said the ministry. Some officials will be removed or demoted.
The China Railway No. 9 Group subcontracted the construction work to a large number of smaller firms, including companies with no experience of bridge construction, Xinhua said.
The parts that needed to be rebuilt included two bridges on the Songhua River and 16 piers designed to support the elevated railway track.
The Ministry of Railways said yesterday that the Yusong Railway project, linking Jingyu County and Songjianghe County in Jilin Province, involved problems of "contract scam, illegal subcontract that led to poor construction."
Earlier reports exposed that unlicensed workers were building the piers on a cross-river rail bridge after a bogus company subcontracted projects to them.
Lu Tianbo, a migrant worker, told Xinhua news agency that "he used to be a cook" and other builders in charge of constructing bridges and tunnels had no knowledge of construction and their credentials were not checked.
Safety concerns were raised after Lu and other workers admitted they cut corners on materials. Bridge piers supposed to be reinforced with cement were instead filled with rubble.
The ministry asked the Shenyang Railway Bureau and China Railway No. 9 Group, the main contractor on the project, to investigate further after the media exposure that shocked the country, at a time when the rapid pace of railway construction attracted huge criticisms concerning safety and corruption.
"China Railway No. 9 Group shoulders the main responsibilities," the ministry said. All the 16 piers involved in the incident should be rebuilt and 90 percent of the loss will be borne by the company. The remaining 10 percent loss will be covered by the construction supervision company, said the authorities.
The construction company is disqualified from future bidding for railway projects.
Ministry officials added that the Songyu railway project manager was sacked and would be barred from being involved in rail projects.
Related officials with Shenyang railway bureau and the China Railway No. 9 Group will also be severely punished, said the ministry. Some officials will be removed or demoted.
The China Railway No. 9 Group subcontracted the construction work to a large number of smaller firms, including companies with no experience of bridge construction, Xinhua said.
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