Peren District Contractors’ Union (PDCU) supports Nagaland Contractors’ & Suppliers’ Union (NCSU), flags non-compliance of rules by State Depts

DIMAPUR: Peren District Contractors’ Union (PDCU) has expressed full support to the issues raised by Nagaland Contractors’ & Suppliers’ Union (NCSU) in its representation to chief minister Neiphiu Rio.
In a press release, PDCU adviser K Francis Zeliang and general secretary K Mark Guing also raised a few more additional points for welfare and progress of the State.
Calling for immediate measures to correct the deep-rooted corrupt practices in a few State government departments over allotment of contract works, they mentioned that, as per a government notification of July 7, 2017, all government departments and agencies should call for open tenders for construction and civil work worth Rs 1 crore and above and for supply work worth Rs 20 lakh and above through E-Procurement and Tendering System to enhance transparency, efficiency and shorter procurement cycle.
However, they alleged that this notification had been on paper only and not implemented and enforced strictly. Rather, they noted that the old manipulated practice of table tender was still being rampantly practiced by the departments to favour few contractors and share the loot in total disregard to the quality of developmental work on the ground.
The PDCU leaders said the open tendering system where it was mandatory to publish notice inviting tenders (NIT) in newspapers for any qualified firms to participate in the e-tendering was rarely seen/being done by the government departments and agencies. They pointed out that if proper guidelines were not followed, then there was no room for small contractors to qualify and even participate in the e-tendering system and take up contract work.
Further, they alleged that there were instances where contractors, emboldened by the illicit cooperation with officials of the departments, carried out work illegally without following any laid-down guidelines and even without any work orders to start the work, and yet their bills were cleared without any trouble. This, they said proved that government officials and a few contractors were draining the State exchequer for their own personal benefit at the expense of the public.
Demanding that the State government should seriously look into these matters, the union leaders called for swift and prompt action against erring officials and the defaulting contractors.
Given that road sector was most important for overall development of any State, they said the government should specifically enforce strict compliance of the laid down guidelines and the clauses in Standard Bidding Documents (SBD) prepared as per the Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) guidelines.
If cases of irregular and illegal activities were detected, they stressed that the government should have no qualms of handing over such cases to the Central investigating agencies for appropriate action.
The PDCU leaders expressed the hope that the government would seriously look into the issues and take measures to curb the illegal and corrupt practices so that the State could have all-round development.