Legislator appeals contractors to avoid ‘pre-owned projects’

Principal Correspondent
Kohima, May 27

Minister for PWD (R&B), Y. Vikheho Swu while expressing that 50-years of statehood is a long period for all round development to happen, today called upon the contractors in the State to join hands in taking measures for reconstruction and rebuilding of the State. Holding an interactive session with contractors of Nagaland PWD here, Swu stressed on the need for change in the casual attitude but ponder seriously on reconstruction and rebuilding of the State.
Asserting that the NPWD is coming up with Research and Planning Cell and also contemplating to prepare Detail Project Reports (DPR), he called upon the contractors to “trust the department and not to take up pre-owned projects by individually going upto to Delhi hunting for the projects”.
He reiterated said the Department will be coming up with Road Maintenance Policy within next three months. The Minister lamented that works of many contractors are of inferior quality because of which the department has to spend money on the same project every year. He also regretted that several contractors do not want to take up black-topping of roads as they feel they do not earn much profit.
As contractors of the state, he said, they have to bring the change in the casual attitude and uphold the Naga pride of being hard-working and sincerity with their quality workmanship. “Money should not be the ultimate goal, but service to the people through the work should be achieved,” he said while encouraging them to leave their trademark behind on completion of every project.
Meanwhile, reacting to the complaints and concerns raised the contractors during the interactive session with focus on delay in payment and also non-release of state’s share of projects, the Minister asserted, “We will see to the possible extent the grievances are solved”.
Nonetheless, he said the shortage of duns faced by the State Government is mainly because of excess number of government employees. He said that the state has around 1.40 lakh employees, while the requirement is for about 70,000 only. He also that the second factor is because the departments like Power, NST and PHE, which are supposed to be revenue earning department are running at a loss.
Commissioner & Secretary Roads & Bridges Himato Zhimomi also addressed the contractors pointed out that timely completion of project, monitoring issue and cost escalation as the pertinent issues faced with the funding agencies. In the meeting many representative from the Contractors Union highlighted the grievances of the contractors including land compensation, taxation issues etc.