NST WATER SUPPLY PROJECT
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 10: The Public Health Engineering Contractors’ and Suppliers’ Association on Wednesday said the state government should award the work under Phase II of the New Shillong Water Supply Scheme to the registered local contractors.
The association’s president, Robert Lamare said they requested PHE Minister Marcuise N Marak to consider the local contractors registered with the department for the work under Phase II worth Rs 1,062 crore.
“We would be happy if each contractor of the PHE Department gets a share of the work under Phase II,” he told reporters after submitting a memorandum to the minister.
The tendering process for Phase II is yet to be initiated.
Expressing his happiness with the outcome of the meeting with Marak, the association’s advisor, Gilbert Laloo said they have no resentment against the department for awarding the contract work under Phase I worth Rs 538.44 crore to a firm from outside.
He said the local contractors would not be able to handle the components of the highly technical and specialised work under Phase I. “None of the local contractors are equipped with such machinery to take up the work,” he added.
Laloo said the terms and conditions would make the firm from outside responsible for any lapses and irregularities in Phase I.
He said the association told Marak that its members have the experience, capability, and capacity to undertake the work related to the laying of pipelines, construction of zonal tanks, etc., to be undertaken in Phase II of the project.
“We have urged the minister not to award the work to firms, companies, and agencies from outside the state under Phase II,” he said.