Contractors protest contract works to outside films
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 01 2023: Demanding allotment of contract assignments for the numerous development activities to be taken up to native contractors and not to firms and companies from outside the state, All Manipur Hills and Plain Contractors' Association staged a sit-in protest in front of PWD office, Khoyathong, here, on Wednesday.

Speaking on the side-lines of the protest, Association chairman Kshetrimayum Ra-jen informed that the economy of the state has been adversely affected as none of the local contractors are allowed to get hold of the contract works for development of roads and other infrastructures which are being taken up in the state with funding from the central government.

Though authority concerned allotted the contract works to outside firms under the pretext of work quality, the same authority does not monitor the works of these firms, he alleged.

Reminding that the Khuman Lampak main stadium and its different structures were completed within 6 months' time with strict adherence to quality norms, Rajen said that every time a new government is formed, the rate of providing works to non-state firms increases, thereby leaving the local contractors and labourers jobless.

He further said that the companies from outside bring in both labourers and construction materials from outside the state and as such the local labourers and businessmen are also made to suffer in the process.

Meanwhile, recalling that major projects used to be split among local contractors earlier, association sub committee convenor Wahengbam Sanaton, who was also present at the protest demonstration, urged authority concerned to follow the same pattern and provide the work orders to the local contractors.

Protestors used placards which read - "Save local contractors", "Stop allotting contract works to outside firms" and "Allot the construction work of national highways provided to NHIDCL to PWD" .

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