SHILLONG: The State PWD has submitted a fresh Detailed Project Report (DPR) to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for construction of a new bridge over the Umngot River in Dawki which has been lingering for years now.
Official sources said that the fresh DPR was submitted to the Ministry about two months back.
“We prepared a fresh DPR since the union ministry was not happy with the previous DPR,” the sources said, adding that the department would re-invite the tender for the project once the union ministry gives its approval to the DPR.
Moreover, official sources revealed that the main reason behind the delay was that the ministry was unhappy since the bidders had quoted rates higher than expectation.
In 2010, three bidders had applied for the project but were rejected as they did not qualify as per the prescribed norms of the ministry and a fresh tender was called in 2011 but once again, the same bidders only applied.
This prompted the union ministry to decide on implementing the Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) mode, which is a form of contracting arrangement within the construction industry, to ensure its early completion According to a PWD official, the allotment of the bridge project will be decided as per the EPC mode.
“In the EPC mode, the bidders will prepare their own estimates. The work will be allotted to the firm by the ministry after comparing the estimates prepared by the department and the bidders,” the official said.
Meanwhile, during a recent meeting with officials of the Home Ministry, the State Government had flagged the need to ensure that a new bridge is constructed instead of the existing bridge.
According to Meghalaya Chief Secretary P.B.O. Warjri, the home ministry had taken note of the matter and assured appropriate and timely response.
It may be reminded that the existing single-lane bridge over the Umngot River, which was built in 1932 as the overland link between the then province of East Bengal and Assam, is in a state of continued decay. Presently, only light vehicles are allowed to ply through the suspension bridge.
