SHILLONG: The long pending dream of the State to have a permanent Assembly building is set to be delayed as contractors are not willing to take up the project due to issues in the bidding process.
Speaking to media persons, Speaker of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly , Donkupar Roy said that the PWD (Building) was taking up the project and he was informed that some contractors were not willing to take up the project due to some issues in the bidding process and the issue of earnest money.
It was informed that as per PWD, they have extended the last date for submitting the bids for the project.
Expressing hope that the State would have its permanent Assembly building within the tenure of the this Assembly, he added that they have to see as how to manage the resources for the project.
“ Once the project is allotted, I am sure everything will fall in line,” Roy added.
The High Powered Committee (HPC) of the Meghalaya Assembly last year under the previous government was forced to scrap the tender for construction of the new Assembly building as one of the bidders quoted a rate too low , over 15 per cent lower than the bid value.
Earlier, PWD had opened the price bid after three firms – Simplex Infrastructure Pvt ltd, Gautam construction Pvt ltd and Shapoorji Pallonji Co & Ltd – qualified in the technical bidding.
The bid value was Rs 105 crore and Gautam Constructions quoted 15.01 per cent less than the bid value whereas Shapoorji Pallonji Co & Ltd quoted 29.92 per cent more than bid value and even Simplex Infrastructure quoted 21.90 per cent more of the bid value.
The PWD department had asked the lowest bidding firm to justify its quoted price and after analysing the PWD suggested that the bid value was too low to complete the building considering the cost escalation in the present market and the impact of new taxes.
The HPC has already approved the building design and an 80 acre plot was allocated in Mawdiandiang for the project
It may be mentioned that Meghalaya is awaiting the new Assembly building since last 17 years after the 125-year-old Burmese teak Meghalaya Legislative Assembly building at Khyndailad was reduced to ashes in a devastating fire
