The mishap has led to a Rs.6 crore immediate loss. Gammon will bear that. The fine imposed will be extra.'

The Metro chief said Gammon is involved in five projects - including the Badarpur line and the Noida line. The company is also constructing many Metro stations in the ongoing Phase II work.

He, however, said that DMRC will ask Gammon to better its quality and safety assurance. 'We are going to ensure quality assurance and safety assurance one level more than what it is today.'

Earlier in the day, Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy informed parliament that a probe panel, headed by IIT-Delhi professor A.K. Nagpal, found 'serious deficiency in the design of the cantilever arm and the concrete (used in the construction) not having the adequate strength'. The panel was probing the July 12 accident at a Metro construction site in Zamrudpur in south Delhi.

The design consultant, Arch Consultancy Services, has been blacklisted for five years, while the structural consultant, Tandon Consultants, which did not give 'correct advice' to DMRC is being debarred for two years, he said.