The Public Works Department (PWD) will make extensive changes in the tendering process from January 2015 and the entire process will be completed in a single day, said PWD Minister Rajesh Munat here on Tuesday.
Presiding over a one-day workshop for capacity building of the officers and contractors of PWD, Munat said that a toll free number will soon be started which can be used by any person to lodge complaint or give suggestion regarding construction works of PWD.He further said that Chhattisgarh State Road Development Corporation (CSRDC) has also been constituted for construction of quality roads in the State.The new Corporation will come into existence from November 5, the Minister said.Presentations were done on tendering process, registration, terms and conditions and under process works during the workshop.
The officers invited suggestions and listened to their problems intermittently between the sessions.The officers attending the workshop said that the Department has work to the tune of several hundred crores of rupees in Bastar but the contractors are not coming forward to work in the region.The contractors said that the contractors face Maoist threat and harassment by police at the sites. The works are also delayed for clearance from the Mining Department besides delay in providing worksite by the Department.
Munat said that the clearance for mining is delayed since the Supreme Court has issued guidelines for the purpose. He said that the budget of the Department used to be of Rs200 crore only before formation of Chhattisgarh but it has increased to Rs3500 crore. ‘The contractors and work agencies take their responsibilities seriously and complete the task according to norms within the stipulated time period.’
He said that token system will be started for the contractors which will reduce paper work. Besides this, the Department will also provide training to their staff for tender process and other works if they require. For Bastar region, the Department is demanding from the State government to provide a Battalion for security of PWD works, added Munat.
The officers informed in the workshop that the tendering process has been started for 280 works worth Rs2587 crores in the State. These includes 6 works of more than Rs100 crore, two works between Rs50-100 crores, 15 works between Rs10-50 crores and 257 works between Rs1-10 crores.
The senior officers of the PWD including Principal Secretary Amitabh Jain, Secretary Anil Rai, newly appointed Managing Director of Chhattisgarh State Road Development Corporation Dr Rohit Yadav and senior officers of the department besides representatives of construction agencies were present in the workshop.