Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, October 29 2008:
IN WHAT could be construed as dashing of the PWD contractors' hopes, Works Minister K Ranjit today announced that despite his department's sincere efforts to release the bills of PWD contractors, it was not possible to get the bills released before Ningol Chakkouba.
However, bills amounting to around Rs 50 crores would be released very soon, the minister said.
He refuted the charge made by the Contractors' Association that Rs 7 crores had been untraceable, and said that it was not correct.
Talking to media persons, Works Minister Ranjit revealed that the works done by the contractors under the Works Department were as old as 10 years and there had been liabilities of around Rs 200 crores.
It is not possible now to investigate how much of the works has been completed or not.
Therefore in order to clear the previous liabilities, no further works would be allotted, he said.
However, improvement and repairing of roads, works relating to natural calamity etc.
would be essentially continued, he said.
Last year also no work under the plan and non-plan was taken up.
Giving a clarification to the charges levelled by the Contractors' Association yesterday, Minister Ranjit informed that a meeting of the Works Advisory Committee was held on October 17.The meeting decided to submit a proposal to clear the liability of Rs 50 crores.
But it took sometime in handing over charges to Commissioner (Works) R Muivah.
Efforts are being made to get the amount released before Ningol Chakkouba, Ranjit said.
Taking a dig at the contractors, the Minister further said that they should speak after knowing the matters they were speaking on.
It was true that Rs 9 crores was not released this time.
Funds were not released by the Planning Commission on the ground that the works of the previous financial year were not properly done.
The Works Department is trying to maintain quality in all works being done under the department.
Liabilities of 10 years can not be cleared immediately.
Efforts are being made to avert liabilities in the financial year starting from 2010.No new programme is being taken up, he said.