Kohima, 5 October (MTNews): The Nagaland Contractors & Suppliers’ Union (NCSU) has once again emphasized their demand that 40 packages under the PMGSY-III should be distributed among 40 Naga contractors of the 16 districts in Nagaland. This demand was reiterated during a press conference held on 5 October at Japfu Hotel in Kohima.
The NCSU firmly expressed its disagreement with the government’s decision to allocate all 40 projects to just 16 contractors or firms. They raised questions about the criteria used to select these 16 contractors, particularly since some firms had previously failed to complete even a single project within the specified timeframe. Consequently, they raised concerns about how a single firm could be expected to complete multiple projects on time. It was pointed out that while the 2017 package is nearly completed, the 2019 package, even after 48 months, remains unfinished.
Furthermore, the NCSU informed that they have taken the matter to the Gauhati High Court where bench-1 has granted a three-week period for the chief engineer to respond, while bench-2 has allowed 15 days for the Chief Engineer of the rural department to reply. The NCSU said they are awaiting the chief engineer’s response to the court.
They also noted that the tender for PMGSY III has not yet been opened due to the NCSU’s involvement and the ongoing legal case. Additionally, they highlighted the government’s standing order, which requires contractors to possess an NCSU ID card for tender participation. They have expressed their intention to closely examine all departments for potential violations of this order and to pursue legal action if necessary.
The NCSU, serving as a non-governmental organization representing all contractors in the state, boasts more than 1000 class-1 contractors registered with them. They argued that equal opportunities should be provided to all Naga contractors and urgently called upon the government to ensure fair distribution of projects among local contractors.