Editor,
With reference to the subject cited above, I wish to bring to public notice that an advertisement was published in this newspaper on February 28, calling for sealed tender notice by the Office of the State Rural Employment Society, Meghalaya for a printing job. Being a representative of one of the firms that submitted the sealed tender, after a few weeks, I went to inquire about the status of the tender for which I was directed to the room of a lady who informed me that the sealed tender had been open by the office without calling the tenderers and the work has already been allotted to a firm with the so-called lowest bid. When I pointed it out to her that this was not the right procedure, she informed me that they have been practicing this for the past 3 to 4 years. When I enquired about the lowest bid amount of the firm that was awarded the work since it’s my right to know as one of the tenderers, she replied that she didn’t have that information with her. This is a clear case of blatant malpractice by this office.
Yours etc.,
Andy Mutyen,
Via email
A deeper study on the hellish road beyond Itshyrwat
Editor,
After reading The Shillong Times with regards to the condition of the road beyond Itshyrwat by many concerned citizens, for those who travel on this road every day, it’s a nightmare no doubt. Forget about cleaning cars because the road is so dusty even patients’ traveling to NEIGRIHMS for health issues have to cling to dear life not because of illness but the dusty road. For a common person like me who cannot afford a “Lamborghini” I can even smell the dust even while inside a cab while travelling on this road. Coming from Umpling side one can see the dust rising like that in the current Ukraine war.
A pertinent question which crops up in the mind of every normal person is, how can this happen where the Government House (Secretariat) is only 4 Kms away? What are the conditions of roads which are 40 kms away if this road located in the capital city of the state can deteriorate to this extent? If things carry one like this, in no time this road will become not a dusty but muddy road. It is understood that the Dhar Brothers’ Company bagged the tender for the work as stated in the article. So without any delay the verdict is – This is a cocktail of Businessmen + Politician + Cabinet Ministers + Contractors equals CORRUPTION! This formula is not very difficult to understand. In fact many want to implement it or are trying to be in a position to implement it they want a Lamborghini. Now, who is going to bell the cat? Or will everyone turn the other way because the cat had turned into a man eater?
When Conrad Sangma became the Chief Minister of the State, I for one was very optimistic of seeing a fresh mind and a young and energetic young man taking up the mantle to lead the State in the right direction for a better change. Here is a person with a Masters in Finance, coming from a well to do family and not at all a stranger to politics. But four years down the line it does appear things are not good. How can our state end up in the hands of few individuals who do whatever they like without any respect for any law or common sense? Tinted glass vehicles are roaming the streets with oversized tyres breaking not only the law of the land but commonsense too. Are we really living in an age of the rich and the mighty?
As per the rule book, the site engineer is supposed to be on site during construction of roads etc., to supervise the work so that the contractor will provide quality products and the work should be as per the specifications and time schedule laid down in the estimates. But when the contractor is himself very close to the head of the Public Works Department what can the poor engineer do? What will happen to the engineer if he tries to intervene is known to everyone. NEIGRIHMS was once the third cleanest Health Institution in the country but now because of the MDA government it becomes a nightmare for people to visit. The contractor or the minister or the super-rich don’t have any regards for the havoc caused by this dusty road and care less about the houses starting from Itshyrwat to Mawpdang including a cabinet minister’s house, where dust rains on their roof like volcano ashes.
Perhaps it’s time for the Honorable High Court to take cognizance of this madness and show these concerned individuals that they are servants, not masters of the public.
Yours etc.,
A.Rani,
Via email