The State PWD Department has given contract for a total of 142 construction works worth nearly Rs16.22 crore to unemployed engineers of the State in current fiscal year 2015-16.
Including this, contracts of total 4259 construction works worth Rs325.82 crore have been provided to degree and dilploma holding unemployed engineers of the State in past one decade, under this scheme of PWD initiated in year 2005, officials stated.
PWD Minister Rajesh Munat told that as per the directives of the Chief Minister, PWD will be providing contracts of construction works worth Rs60 lakh every year to the masons, who have taken skill development training.
He further said that till date 2084 unemployed degree-holding engineers and 1065 unemployed diploma engineers have been registered in Public Works Department (PWD). From year 2005 to fiscal year 2015-16, total 2900 construction works worth nearly Rs253.61 crore have been provided by the Department to these registered degree-holding engineers.
likewise, 1359 construction works worth nearly Rs72.21 crore have been provided to unemployed diploma engineers.
Munat said that in year 2015-16, contracts of 127 construction works worth Rs13.79 crore have been given to unemployed degree-holding engineers and contracts of 15 such works worth Rs2.43 crore have been provided to unemployed diploma engineers.
The PWD officials informed that degree-holding engineers may now take up the contracts of Rs25 lakh to Rs50 lakh. They may take contracts of maximum Rs two crore in duration of one year.
likewise, Diploma Engineers may take up the contracts of Rs15 lakh t Rs25 lakh (contracts of maximum Rs1 crore can be taken in one year.
Masons may also take up contracts of worth up to Rs15 lakh and maximum of Rs60 lakh in one year. Unemployed engineers and masons are provided contracts through tender system.
The Department officials had recently announced that construction of as many as 16 large bridges have been completed in Chhattisgarh involving total a cost of Rs68 crore during the last one-and-half years.
Notably, Chhatisgarh’s Public Works Department (PWD) is also setting up a separate Cell to endorse design of bridges before they are constructed in the State.
State PWD Minister Rajesh Munat while chairing a meeting of the Bridge divisions of the Department here recently had directed officials to form a ‘Separate Cell’ to endorse design of bridges.
The Minister also directed the officials to have a board put up at every bridge construction site mentioning when the project was approved, the period in which the project is to be completed, project outlay, the name of the Contractor and the Engineer involved with the project.
It was informed in the meeting that a total of 142 works had been approved for a total of six Bridge Divisions of the Department.
Out of the 142 works, a total of 12 works have been stopped for which the PWD Minister directed to restart the work.
Munat said that stern action would be taken against officials if they don’t complete works under the stipulated time frame. The PWD is in the process of constructing as many as eight Railway over bridges and two under bridges in the State at a cost of Rs284.37 crore.
Out of Rs284.37 crore being spent on the projects, Rs265.29 crore is being utilised for construction of eight over bridges and Rs19.8 crore is being spent on construction of two under bridges.
PWD Minister Rajesh Munat has directed officials to ensure the construction work of the bridges meet high quality standards. The State Government had sent proposals to the Centre for construction of 294 roads worth Rs 1023.51 crore and construction of 103 bridges worth Rs1318 crore for financial year 2014-15.