IMPHAL, January 11: The 14-Village Development Committee of Oinam Assembly Constituency has warned that the committee will not allow any work of the Phase X of Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana, PMGSY Scheme which has been reportedly awarded to contractors bidding lower than the government fixed tender rates.
Speaking to media persons, chairman of the committee, JK Khuman said the people of the constituency are not satisfied with any of the work undertaken during the previous Phase I to VIII and so the people cannot allow any compromise in quality in works to be undertaken under Phase X.
Works under Phase IX are still continuing at various places, he said.
At this juncture the government has awarded the works to contractors who have bidded below the government rate, which is unacceptable he said appealing to all contractors against trying to bid the lowest in government tenders.
Convenor Oinam Chaoba said the Manipur State Rural Development Agency is presently undertaking works under Phase IX.
All works undertaken under Phase I to VIII are unsatisfactory he said pointing out that the present condition of the main IVR road in the constituency is in a deplorable condition.
Citing a poorly undertaken work under the PMGSY Phase IX, he alleged that the contractor who was awarded the construction of the 40 km long IVR from Keinou to Kamong which included blacktopping and slab culvert construction under package 129 had bid 16 percent lower than the government fixed rate.
And now the contractor has completed only two-kms of the road from Leimaram to Kamong, he added.
Another work under package 130 of the Irengbam road which includes laying of 12 slab culverts, WBM and blacktopping had been awarded to the contractor who had bid 10 percent lower than the government fixed rate, he said while stating that the no diversions have been provided from the culverts as such anyone going to the nearby fields had to pass along other fields creating much hindrances to local farmers.
All these irregularities have angered the people and the committee, he said stating that the committee has decided not to allow works to be taken up under the Phase X scheme in the constituency unless the works are awarded to those bidding higher than the government fixed rates.
He further appealed to the concerned minister, chief engineers and officials to look into the issue and award the works to those who are bidding above the government fixed rates.