AMHPCA stages protest against outsourcing major contracts
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 01 2023: Condemning the Government for awarding major contracts to outside firms, members of the All Manipur Hill and Plain Contractors' Association (AMHPCA) staged a protest demonstration in front of PWD office at Khuyathong, Imphal today.

Speaking about their grievances, Ksh Rajen, chairman of a sub-committee under AMHPCA, said the sorry state of Manipur's economy is due to the Government awarding almost all development related contracts to outside firms and construction companies.

As all projects have been given to firms from outside the State, the contractors at home, labourers and engineers have no job.

Crores of rupee are going outside Manipur through the firms, he said.

He continued that people are well aware that the contractors of the State are capable as shown by their works in connection with the 1999 National Games.

State contractors had completed construction of the Games Village within 6 months and they had also successfully completed many other projects at the time.

While the State Government may argue that the works of the State contractors lack quality, he said, the quality of the work depends on the funding, intervention of the Government and other factors.

Not all works done by outside firms are up to the mark.

There are also many projects which were completed by the outside firms that lack quality, he claimed.

There are projects including water supply schemes being taken up with the funding of the New Development Bank and Asian Development Bank.

However, all the projects are being awarded to outside firms and construction companies.

Even though State contractors and firms do participate in the e-tendering processes they are being neglected, Ksh Rajen said.

While appealing to the Government to take steps to address their grievances, he also urged it to release pending liabilities of the contractors.

If the Government doesn't hear their appeals, the association may be forced to take up stringent agitations, he said.

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