Kohima, May 13 (MExN): The Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) has asked the State Government, particularly the office of Chief Engineer PWD (R&B) and National Highways, to strictly follow the tender norms as per the NPWD Code and CPWD Code and get rid of table tender which is in total violation of all ethics of technicality.
“In order to ensure good quality in roads, the State Government has to strictly follow the Rules 2006 for Registration of Contractor whereby it provides that the registered contractors shall execute and exercise within the powers and in accordance with the provisions of this Rules and Identity Card would be issued to all government registered contractors and the works will be awarded in accordance with standing guidelines through open tender,” a press release from Press & Media Cell, NVCO stated. The tenders will be issued to the registered contractors only, it added.
According to Section 18 of the CPWD Code, NVCO said, tenders must be invited the most open and public possible, whether by advertisement in the press or by notice in English/Hindi and the written language of the district, pasted in public places. Wide publicity should, therefore, be given to the Notice Inviting Tenders. A copy of the notice should be sent to the CPWD Divisions, Zonal Office, the Circle Office, Local Municipalities and Collector’s Office and the State PWD Divisions operating at the station of the work and headquarters of the Divisional Office.
Further, NVCO said that under the Section 18.1.2, in respect of works estimated more than Rs. 2 lakhs, a brief advertisement inviting tenders should invariably be INSERT IGNOREed in the press. Section 291 of the Public Works Department Code, Govt. of Nagaland says that sealed tenders should invariably be invited in the most open and public manner possible, by advertisement in the Government Gazette, or the press, or by public notice, NVCO added.
Meanwhile, the organisation pointed out the following as illegal practices in the state which result in poor quality of work and supply: “Government employees, other professionals and non-registered contractors involved in contract and supply work; the politicians and ministers grabbing contract and supply work by way of manipulating and awarding it to their own children, relatives and people of their choice; table tender in awarding works and not following the tender norms as per NPWD Code and CPWD Code; registered contractors issuing writing pads to unauthorized persons in contract works and supplies; extortion and illegal collection of cash/taxes; deduction and collection of abnormal commissions by politicians, ministers, bureaucrats, technocrats and government servants as well as various organisations including undergrounds; supply of sub-standard goods/material; using poor quality of materials; not completing the work in time; drawing the project/work amount without doing the work; irregular in the release of the payments (contractors’ bill), etc.”
NVCO President & Convenor of ACAUT Nagaland (legal cell) Kezhokhoto Savi said that in order to ensure quality of work in Nagaland, the contractors must utilise the entire project amount and not pay any commission to politicians, ministers, etc. “The contractors must not pay illegal collection of cash/taxes in the check gates and on any highways while transporting building material, etc,” he asserted.
Savi further said that the contractors’ fraternity should remain strong and united and fight together against injustices meted out to contractors by authorities and politicians while awarding developmental works in the state. He also maintained that contract clause such as ‘Payment shall be made as and when fund is available” is an arbitrary clause and not tenable for any contract work anywhere in the country except Nagaland.
