By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: It costs Rs 1.8 crore to maintain the Access Control System (ACS) installed for ensuring security and punctuality at the entrance of the Main Secretariat, Additionla Building and Rationg Buiding.
Questions are being raised on the waste of man-power as both policemen and staff of Nice Infotech constantly engage in doing the same job of checking the entry of people into the Secretariat via the ACS.
As per the reply to an RTI filed by CSWO President Agnes Kharshiing, setting, maintenance and installation of ACS is Rs 1.5 crore, cabling for installation of ACS is Rs 12, 10,000 and provision of manpower to maintain the ACS for a period of 1 year is Rs 13,89,780.
The total amounts to Rs 1.8 crore, an amount which exceeds the rate of Rs 98.92 lakh quoted by the service provider, M/S Nice Infotech.
The agreement was signed on March 30, 2012 between the Secretariat Administration Department (SAD) and Nice Infotech for a period of one year, to ensure better management of ACS at Main Secretariat and Raitong Building.
According to the documents attained through RTI, the manpower arranged for this purpose included seven people to act as operators, four as system administrators, and one supervisor from Nice Infotech.
“The SAD will pay annual management charges of Rs 12,60,000 plus additional service tax as applicable to Nice Infotech”, the documents stated.
The salary for the staff alone amounted to Rs 1,05,000 per month and the cost per year amounted to Rs 12, 60, 000 plus service tax of Rs 1, 29, 780, taking the total amount to Rs 13, 89, 780 per year.
According to sources, initially a tender was called only for the placing the equipments and employment of staff of Nice Infotech was asked as per the second tender.
There was also criticism in the past over the plight of people who are denied access to the Secretariat due to the installation of the ACS at every entrance.