Call it bazen violations by few engineers, only to burden contractors financially

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Contractors Coordination Committee has cautioned over uploading tender for various developmental works without having sufficient funds for them to be carried.
Calling it a gross violation of the rules the JKCCC said such works only add to the burden on the contractors who later are denied their genuine payments even after completing such works.
This bypassing of rules according to the committee will only add to their woes, seeking immediate attention of the LG Manoj Sinha and Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta to put an end to such violations.
Taking to Kashmir Reader the Chairman of JKCCC Ghulam Jeelani Purza said that we want to apprise the administration that such tendering where clauses like funds are committed in future or will be available in later should be stopped forthwith and engineering fraternity should be asked to halt uploading of any such tendering for developmental works.
He said that the present Chief Secretary who was the financial commissioner had clearly set up rules wherein we contractors had been asked to not to carry any works wherein sufficient funds available to carry forward these works, even if technical and other norms have been fulfilled.
Jeelani said that their fraternity is presently paying a huge price for such prevalent practice in the past that only added to their financial burden, and wants an end to this.
In the past the practice of tendering did not give weightage to the fact that fund availability for works and even with works having technical and other clearances the contractors would carry out their works.
“The government too would release funds from time to time to clear their piled up liability,” but later this practice was totally disapproved by the adminstarton and only works having funds in hand were given approval and tenders also mentioned the clause of fund availability clearly.
The past practice according to the committee has blocked crores of rupees for genuine works carried by the contractors for the government still have to clear their past piled liability, with they argumentative over the fact of non availability of the funds at the time of tendering such past works had to given consideration by those contractors who carried such works.
The current liability of Civil works accumulated from the year 2014, according to Jeelani Rs 86 crores for civil works carried by the contractors while Rs 160 crores are the liability of Hot mix plant owners and there being some more.
He said that reviving of this past practice by some of the engineers to remain in the good books of officials has to be rejected at the onset as we feel that this will only lead to problems for the contractors later.
“Even with the contractor completing the work, the government treasury will not release the money, as they will object over the clause of fund availability,” adding that this needs to be taken up seriously by the authorities asking officials not to carry any such tendering.
Jeelani further said that , thay have instances where their fraternity members had to face the ire of financial institutions and many crumbled financially only because of the fact that they could not repay the loans on time, as promised money for works is yot to reach them .
The committee said that for the contractors to navigate amid the present economic crisis due to the pandemic besides offloading their former liabilities , it is quite unwise for a few engineers to lure them into works that will add to their woes in future.
“Things are challenging, but any introduction of wrong practice needs to be opposed, so that is why we have asked the administration and officials to have a look at this issue at earliest,” he said.

KR Desk