Dimapur, September 14 (MExN): The Nagaland Contractors’ & Suppliers’ Union (NCSU) protests what it said is the manner in which the Nagaland Cabinet handled the issue of contractors’ pending bills when the Cabinet met on September 13.
The NCSU has challenged the Cabinet to verify NCSU’s bills by inviting the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or constitute an independent judiciary committee to verify the pending bills, table tender, escalation of rate and all the developmental works in the State.
A press release from the union called the decision “biased and one-sided to suit their own conveniences thereby depriving the due share of NCSU members.” The NCSU has also decided to launch its 3rd phase of agitation indefinitely from 18th September 2012. “Therefore all NCSU registered members are directed to report Union Head Office on 17th September 2012 during office hours, erring members shall be penalized by cancellation of his/her registration.”
According to the union, the Cabinet’s letter claimed that up to year 2010, payments to contractors amounting to Rs. 46 crores were made to various departments including R&B, PHED and Housing to the NCSU members; liabilities amounting to crores of rupees have been released in various departments outside NCSU registered members from 2002 to 2010. “The union wanted to know to whom payment has been made that the concern department have to clarify immediately,” the union demanded.
The union also referred the Cabinet’s letter regarding “acknowledgement letter.” The Cabinet “totally twisted and claimed” that there are no more pending bills under R&B, the union said. “In this regard the Cabinet should be thorough in all the contents before summing up.
In this connection the NCSU is constrained to issue this clarification regarding acknowledgement letter of NCSU vide No.NCSU/GS-03/2006 dated 21st April 2010, copies of which were served to the honorable Minister for PWD (Road & Bridges) and the Principal Secretary to the honorable Chief Minister of Nagaland.” In the second paragraph of the said letter, the NCSU said, “it was stated that there are no more pending bills remaining with NCSU office under (R&B) against DLVC list except in PHED, Housing & Mechanical. This does not mean that there are no more pending bills under (R&B). The fact is that many pending bills of our members were missed out while compiled by NCSU during 2002, due to late submission of pending bills that include new registered members.”
Moreover, there are more pending bills under State Level Re-verification Committee which the NCSU received after 2002 onward and submitted to the government in the year 2010 are pending payment. “Therefore, all the present pending bills of NCSU members have already been verified or re-verified. In this connection, we would also like to make our position clear that an amount of Rs. 28 crores under PWD (R&B) was made in part payments from 2002 to December 2009 which took 7 years,” the union said.
The Cabinet’s letter also claimed that even after submitting the acknowledgement, the NCSU submitted fresh list of payments included Rs. 18.19 crores in the R&B department, Rs. 6.61 crores in Housing Department and Rs.11.02 crores in PHED. In this connection the union clarified that all this bills received after 2002 to 2010 amounting to Rs. 35.83 crores are yet to be released which was duly verified by competent technical engineers.
The union continued: “In Sl.No. 5 of meeting minutes regarding the fund provisions, the NCSU clarified that the Nagaland Legislative Assembly on 17th March 2012 had passed an amount of Rs. 39.83 crores to clear up dues to the contractors. Where has this budget provision of Rs. 39.83 crores go and how this amount disappeared?”
“In Sl.No.6 of Cabinet has decided to let the SIT give its report after which the State government is prepared to make payments for any liabilities if found genuine. The NCSU general body meeting held on 18th July 2012 unanimously rejected the Cabinet decision therefore co-operating with SIT to re-verify pending bills does not arise.”
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