A Contractor's Dilemma

My friend, Praveen, was always inclined towards business. He became a painting contractor. He got his first contract to paint three houses. The contract amount was good, and it was a good beginning for Praveen. According to the contract terms, Praveen had to complete the work within 28 days. There was a penalty if the work got delayed; for every day delayed, the payment would be reduced by 2 percent.

Praveen was not worried. He had three painters — Ashok could paint a house in six days, Baban could paint a house in eight days, and Chandra could paint a house in twelve days. The only problem was that these three painters were not his employees; they undertook independent work and, therefore, were not always available at the same time. But Praveen was confident that he could complete the work within 28 days — if he got Ashok to do the work, Ashok would paint the three houses in 18 days, much ahead of the deadline.

Praveeen was lucky; Ashok was available. He started painting the houses. But after the eighth day, Ashok's son fell ill, and he could not come for work. So, Praveen asked Baban to continue. Baban said he could work for only six days because he had another project. Praveen had no option. But he was now worried. Baban worked for six days and left. Chandra took up the work after Baban and completed it.

Do you think Praveen would be able to complete the contract on time, or would he be penalized?

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