Imphal, September 18 (NNN): The Tribal Youth Council Manipur (TYCM) has urged the government “not to award tender works at lowest and minus rates for hill tribal areas in Manipur”. It also urged the government to cancel all “lowest and minus-rate bidding contractors/firms” and re-tender all hill area works tendered during President’s Rule. The tribal body further urged the government to cancel all registered/empanelled contractors in different departments, and to award all works to contractors/agencies registered with PWD, CPWD, and MES with strict compliance to MSR/SR.
In a memorandum submitted to the Governor of Manipur, to the Chief Secretary of Manipur, and also to the Commissioner, Public Works Department (PWD), Government of Manipur, the TYCM said, “For ensuring the quality of work and the longevity of developmental assets and public utility projects in the hill areas of Manipur, the Tribal Youth Council Manipur (TYCM), Central Headquarters, hereby submits this representation for your kind consideration and necessary action”.
In the memorandum, the TYCM said that the “lowest and minus rate” bidding culture has long been practiced in tender works in Manipur. It pointed out that such a practice compromises quality and increases corruption malpractices in the state. The TYCM further said most contractors/agencies, in pursuit of securing contract works and their personal benefits, bid at the “lowest and minus rates”, resulting in a loss against the actual Manipur Scheduled Rates (MSR)/tendered amount of the works/projects. Due to these reasons, according to the TYCM, most works/projects are not completed on time, and some suffer damage, rapid deterioration, retrogression, or dilapidation before completion due to poor quality maintenance caused by minus-rate bidding.
The memorandum then said, “If such lowest and minus rate bidding culture continues, the state cannot develop and will be unable to progress or compete with the advancing era, and it has been adversely causing hardship and inconvenience to the general public of the state”.
The tribal body then questioned, “On the various challenges faced in the hill areas, and on top of that, when the contractors/agencies bid at the lowest and minus rate on the tender works/projects, how can the quality of works be maintained?” The TYCM also said the practicing “minus-rate” bidding on the tender works/projects is for rewarding the development instead of bringing development.
In order to maintain the quality of works/projects in the hill districts of Manipur, all “lowest and minus-rate” bidding contractors/firms whose tenders were executed for hill district works during President’s Rule in Manipur must be cancelled immediately, and all such works/projects must be re-tendered, the TYCM demanded. “Otherwise, the TYCM will initiate a series of democratic agitations”, it warned.
The TYCM then mentioned that the government authorities and the “lowest-rate” bidders are liable to be held responsible for causing loss to public properties and public utilities due to poor quality maintenance, thereby affecting the right to life and right to freedom enshrined under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India.
The TYCM then questioned on what grounds or provisions the registration and empanelment of contractors in different departments are made mandatory. It said that such practices cause unnecessary hardship and harassment to the contractors/firms.
The TYCM also said any contractors/agencies registered with the Public Works Department (PWD), Central Public Works Department (CPWD), and Military Engineer Services (MES) are eligible to bid for, be empanelled in, and execute works/projects under all departments, and hence, there is no need for separate registration and empanelment of contractors in different departments as mandatory.
The TYCM then said various challenges are faced in the hill areas, where the prices of materials, transportation, and labor are considerably higher than in the valley. According to the TYCM, this disparity is due to the greater distances involved, with the hill areas being located approximately 200 km away from the state capital (Imphal), compared to the valley areas, which are at most 70 km from Imphal. “As a result, transportation costs and the price of materials in the hill districts are significantly higher. Similarly, labor charges are also higher in the hills”, the tribal body added.
In the contexts of road/infrastructure construction, the government applies equal estimated costs for both the valley and the hill areas, said the TYCM. However, the expenditures for constructing 1 km of road in the valley and in the hill areas will differ due to the varying regional conditions and the greater distance from the state capital (Imphal), it pointed out.
Finally, the TYCM memorandum said, “In the above circumstances and grievances, the Tribal Youth Council Manipur (TYCM), Central Headquarters, requests that the above-cited matter be considered at the earliest date in the larger interest of the tribal communities of Manipur”.
