Give priority to locals : Contractors
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 06 2023: Demanding allotment of contract works to local contractors, the Water Resources Department Contractors Association (WRDCA) staged a protest demonstration in front of PWD office, Khoyathong today.

Talking to media persons by the sideline of the protest demonstration, WRDCA president Th Debendra claimed that they have been fighting breach of river banks and floods since the past many years.

The Irrigation and Flood Control Department (IFCD) has been renamed as the Water Resources Department.

When the department was known as IFCD, local contractors constructed many earth filled dams and barrages in a commendable manner, Debendra said.

However, since the past few years, the Government awarded all the contract works of the Water Resource Department to construction companies and contractors based outside the State at the cost of local contractors, he said.

Consequent upon denial of contract works to local contractors, a large number of labourers have been left jobless, he said.

Moreover, the State's economy has been suffering very badly on account of denial of contract works to local contractors, he continued.

Promising that they would execute development or contract works at the same quality as the contractors based outside the State, the WRDCA president urged the Government to award them contract works and clear their liabilities.

Manipur Hill and Plain Contractors'Association general secretary Ksh Rajen said that several crores of rupee are pending with the Water Resources Department for works executed since 2016-17 even though no work orders have been issued for these works.

There are also many works whose liabilities have not been paid even after the work orders have been issued, Rajen said.

Awarding contract works to companies and contractors based outside the State implies sending huge amounts of money outside the State, he said.

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