Contractors engaged by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department Government of Manipur for taking up retaining wall construction all along the major rivers particularly Nambul river have put their hands on head as the department have not cleared the bills even after the construction work had been completed long time back. They feel they have been made fools by the department. Long before they took up retaining wall construction they sought advice from engineers of the department whether the payment would be prompt. The answer was in affirmative. Every contractor knows IFCD payment is not up to the mark. Retaining wall construction programme was taken up under a centrally sponsored scheme, the fund for which too had been released by the Union Government. One wonders why the payment had been held up. Since the wall had been constructed the road running by the side of the river had been widened and the users had expressed happiness. Engineers who strictly supervised construction of the walls cannot be traced these days. Like the fugitives they have kept themselves out of touch. They too are in the dark as and when the bills will be cleared. They cannot provide exact information about the payment of the work so they avoid meeting with the contractors. When the plan money was given to every state by the Planning Commission a stricture was sounded to encourage involvement of private partners in taking up developmental programmes. If the Government encourage private partnership in taking up developmental programmes there is no reason as to why private parties’ payment should be held up even after the completion of the work. IFCD is playing with the life of poor contractors. These contractors now lament for the foolish job they had done. Most of these contractors belong to lower middle class group. Gold and homestead lands were mortgaged to take up the construction work. As the payment has been held up the mortgaged items cannot be reclaimed. Social unrest has been created by the department. In future if the department would not be in a position to make prompt payment for the works done no developmental programmes should be taken up. Enough fools had been created. Do not create more of them again. Is there nobody to hear the voice of the tormented young contractors? All their hard earned money had been looted. They are now thinking of making a complaint to the Brahmaputra Board under whose brand name the retaining wall construction was taken up. That will set a bad precedent. Centre may start poking nose in the state affairs if the complaint goes directly to the centre. That may put the state Government in a precarious condition. If the department had actually received fund from the Board for the work done there is no reason as to why the clearance of bills should be delayed. Something messy is being carried out in the department. That needs to be investigated by a competent authority. Is anybody hearing?
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/a-complaint-that-requires-attention/
