Submits representation to Nagaland CM 

Dimapur, March 30 (MExN): The Nagaland Contractors’ & Suppliers’ Union (NCSU) on Wednesday submitted a representation requesting the Chief Minister of Nagaland to look into a number of concerns and implement checks and balances for the welfare of its members and the progress of infrastructural development in the state.

In the representation, NCSU President Pele Khezhie and General Secretary John Kath pointed out some procedural lapses with regard to issue of work orders and ‘illegal and irregular activities by the Government officials’ and other individuals and groups.

According to the NCSU, there are two standing Government Memorandums that “clearly stated that all the Contract/Supply works in the state of Nagaland should be awarded only to those having Nagaland Contractors & Suppliers Union Identity Card Holder and that the work order should be issued to the contractors through open tenders only.” 

However, it said that many of the government officials have been issuing the contract works or supply works to the Contractors without following the government orders, “through table tenders for their personal interest.” This type of illegal practices by the government officials should be checked and stopped completely by the State Government, the NCSU asserted.

The NCSU also underscored that “some of the government officials are in the habit of doing contract/supply works by themselves in various departments violating service conduct rules,” and as such, requested the state government to check and stop these illegal and irregular activities.

Further, after a contractor qualifies for a particular work order through open tender, “the concerned departments insists to deposit 5% of the work order amount without which the Government officials do not issue the work order to the Contractors,” the NCSU claimed. 

“This is the first step; a contractor has to pay 5% to an unknown person before getting the work done. This practice should be stopped without further delay,” it added.

It went on to state that even after the completion of the works allotted, “concerned Departments used to demand high percentage (without any written documents)” instead of releasing the bill to the Contractors. “In case, any contractor refuses to pay high rate of percentage demanded by them, then their bills are not released.  Furthermore, different groups of people used to threaten or demand a huge sum of money from the contractors right from the start of the work till getting the final payments. In this way, we the Contractors in Nagaland are harassed and taxed heavily by different agencies and groups all the times. In such a situation, how can we work, earn for livelihood and live peacefully,” the representation stated.

While appreciating  the  State  Government for release of  pending  bills of  the  contractors  up to 2005 as per  agreement reached between the  State  Government  and  the NCSU earlier, it pointed out that the government has failed to release the  remaining outstanding  bills from  2006  till date. “We therefore, request the State Government to implement the agreement promptly in this regard,” it stated. 

For release of payments, the NCSU suggested that State Government follow the ‘usual practice’ of deducting GST from the Contractor’s individual bills at source while releasing payment. In this connection, it said that the prevalent practice where contractors are asked to deposit the GST in order to get their payments is ‘inconvenient.’

Meanwhile, the NCSU stated that it was ‘the need of the hour’ for the state government to bring out the ‘works programme’ for all the departments on a yearly basis. By doing so the people of Nagaland will come to know the state government’s developmental activities towards the progress of the State and transparency between the government and its citizens would be established, it said.

Further stating that contractors are ‘the backbone of the state government with regard to the development of the State,’ the NCSU requested the government to eradicate the malpractices or unlawful activities and take stern action against the defaulters so as to safeguard and protect the interest and welfare of the contractors.