PWD not letting local contractors to earn their living- Sundas

Tara sundas

{KNE};Kalimpong, October 09: The PWD Department had issued a tender notice on September 17, related to the construction of the alternative Bypass at Cross Dara below Homes, 7th Mile, Kalimpong, in which October 04 was mentioned as the last submission date. However, earlier in the month of August, through the Superintendent Engineer North Bengal Circle II PWD, Jalpaiguri Office, a tender notice for the same of Rs 64 lakhs 17 thousand 2 hundred and 81 was issued vide memo no. ICA NO. 1692 (3)/ 2012, under which the contractors were supposed to deposit Rs 31 lakhs 28 thousand 3 hundred and 46. The tenders were supposed to be submitted by August 14. The CPM leader, Tara Sundas today complaining about the twice issued tender notices said that there are around 65 contractors in Kalimpong, but the overall tender value along with the earnest tender value is very high.

 If only the values are decreased then the local contractors can also bid for the same. “The Department by doing so is not allowing the local contractors to earn their living”, alleged Sundas. It may be mentioned here that the foundation of alternative Bypass at Cross Dara below Homes, 7thMile, Kalimpong was laid on July 02, 2010, by the then CPM Government’s PWD Minister Chiti Goswami. 19 crores of fund was sanctioned to construct the 15.85km Bypass. After the foundation, the mud cutting works had initiated under which 3 crores have been used up. 2 years have passed by and the Bypass meant to resolve the town’s traffic constraint to some extent is still not completed, instead the construction work is fully at halt. The frequent landslides due to the climatic conditions and other various reasons are said to be the reason behind the halt over the construction work.