Ongoing blockade stalls road project
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 21 2017:
Even as necessary fund for development of the dilapidated Mao-Koubru Leikha section of Imphal-Dimapur highway has been sanctioned, tender for the contract work could not be done on account of the UNC's indefinite economic blockade.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) sanctioned Rs 370.33 crore for development of Mao-Koubru Leikha section on November 30 last year, informed an official source.
The total amount of Rs 370.33 crore was divided into two portions.
The first portion of Rs 230.46 crore is for development of Mao-Senapati section which is 48 Kms long.
The second portion amounting to Rs 139.87 crore is meant for development of the 27 Kms long Senapati-Koubru Leikha section.
The tender amount for Mao-Senapati section is Rs 177.22 crore and the tender amount for Senapati-Koubru Leikha section is Rs 107 crore.
With a view to complete the tender process within the shortest possible time, invitation for tender bids were issued on November 24 last.
The necessary fund was sanctioned with due permission from MoRTH under Advance Action of Tender.
As per the plan, submission of tender bids was fixed on December 29 .
Even as the State PWD did their best to take up the road development project , no firm responded to the invitation for tender.
The State PWD adopted EPC (Engineering Procurement Construction) Mode of Tender for both portions of the highway development project.
Under this mode of tender, engineers employed by contractors should survey the work sites and design their own projects even though PWD gives its own estimates.
Under other modes of tender, contractors have to bid with the lowest rates but there is no need for physical presence of their engineers at work sites.
Whereas the PWD has adopted EPC Mode of Tender for both portions of the highway development project, firms based outside the State are reluctant to send their engineers to the works sites on account of the UNC's indefinite economic blockade.
As such, many firms based outside the State have already appealed to the PWD to postpone the tender process for sometime, conveyed the source.