Govt to issue fresh tender with new clauses

SHILLONG: The High Powered Committee on new Assembly building, which met on Friday, has decided to introduce two clauses while re-inviting tenders for the project at Mawdiangdiang.
Speaking to media persons, the chairman of the panel, Speaker Donkupar Roy, said one of the new clauses makes it mandatory for a bidder to have experience of completing similar projects like Raj Bhavan, chief minister’s residence or other government institutes.
The committee has also decided to raise the amount for security deposit threefold. Roy said this would help in quality control as bidders would be discouraged from quoting lower rates.
The Public Works Department has been entrusted with the task of retendering the project and the department would issue the tender soon.
“We are hopeful that everything will be completed within this tenure and in three years’ time, the session will take place in the new Assembly building,” Roy told reporters.
The allocated budget for the new building is Rs 140 crore.
Meghalaya is awaiting a new Assembly building for the last 17 years after the 125-year-old heritage construction of Burmese teak at Khyndailad was reduced to ashes in a devastating fire.
The committee under the previous government had to scrap the tender last year because the lowest cost quoted was 15.01 per cent less than the bid value of Rs 105 crore.
The building design has already been approved and an 80-acre plot has been allocated in Mawdiangdiang for the project.