Dimapur, June 26 (MExN): The Nagaland Ductile Iron and Castings Dealers’ Union (NDICDU) taking strong exception to what it considered the PHED’s total disregard toward the repeated appeal of the union for use of Ductile Iron (DI) Pipes, has warned that the union would be forced to seek intervention of the Court of Law if the appeals go unheeded.
“To avoid any misunderstanding that may result out of miscommunication or gap the union had served a Legal Notice to the department dated January 27, 2006 through a learned Counselor of the Guwahati High Court. But still the union is yet to receive any formal reply from the dept. In this backdrop, in view of the obvious contempt of the rational appeals of the union by the PHED, the NDICDU shall be left with no choice but to seek justice through the intervention of the Court towards which the union shall not be held responsible in whatever manner” the union’s president LP Zelie and Joint secretary Kikhwesul Sachu stated.
The union reminded that Water Supply Projects in the state should encourage usage of DI pipes, as directed by the government of Nagaland through Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner on October 16, 2003 that “all departments utilizing pipes for water supply and sanitation etc. are advised to procure Ductile Iron pipes from approved manufacturers and authorized dealers only in view of the superior quality of the ductile iron pipes and longer life span”.
The union objected to the deviation in project implementation using other materials when the original Detailed Project Reports (DPR) were prepared and accepted for funding by the concern authority to use DI Pipes. It also reiterated that the matter of superior quality of DI pipes over GI and CI Pipes is well established in the light of technical observations made by various Engineers and manufacturers backed by successful implementation reports from various states, including hilly terrains and similar atmospheric conditions to that of Nagaland state like Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim etc.
The NDICDU also restated that it comprises of authorized Dealers of almost all the DI Pipes manufacturing companies in the country and is a registered body under the Indian Trade Union Act 1926. It has been supplicating that all supplies and contracts of DI materials be routed through it while ensuring strict adherence to Director General Supplies and Disposal (DGS & D) Rate and Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) Specification. “Despite continued stress on these following points, the PHED remains adamant to ignore the appeals made by the union and act otherwise-in apparent spite the department had procured materials of which quality as well the quantity specified against the projects may be verified” it was stated.
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