Shillong, July 02: The organization Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Friday met the Meghalaya Speaker Mr. Metbah Lyngdoh and handed to him memorandum seeking CBI inquiry into the collapse of the Dome of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly which is under construction at Mawdiangdiang, where there is an abnormal inflation in the building construction.
The Memorandum from the HYC has pointed out that, the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly has designated, appointed the work, as stated above, to the Meghalaya Public Works Department Building, Lower Lachumiere, Shillong, as the Implementing or Executing Agency and on whose behalf to enter into a Contract and getting the work executed with the Contractor.
That, pursuant to the above, MPWD issued Notice Inviting e-Tender (NIT) on 06.09.2018 for the work “Construction of New Assembly Buiding” at an estimated cost of Rs 105,58,66,500.00/- only and period of Completion is given to be Thirty Six Months.
The High Power Committee (HPC) under the Chairmanship of the Speaker in its Meeting held on 21.02.2019, after careful discussion has approved the decision of the PWD (Building) Departmental Tender Committee of 2018-19 held on 22.01.2019, which had recommended to prequalify only Uttar Pradesh Rajkiya Nirman Nigam Limited (UPRKNNL) and further directed the Chief Engineer, PWD (Buildings) to take necessary action for opening of Financial bid of the pre-qualified Bidder.
That, the HPC again sat on the 28th February, 2019 where it was informed by the Chief Engineer PWD (B) that as per its recommendation, the Financial bids of UPRNNL was opened and the rate quoted by the bidder was Rs 127,75,98,465.00/- (Rupees One Hundred Twenty Seven Crores Seventy Five Lakh Ninety Eight Thousand Four hundred Sixty five) only, which is 21% above the Estimated cost of the Project.
On being asked by the Committee Members, the Chief Engineer PWD (B) informed the Committee that the rate quoted by the Bidder is acceptable the estimate was prepared on the basis of SOR (B) for the year 2015-16 and since tendering process started only in the year 2018-19, which is after almost three years, there is a considerable variations in the cost of construction materials and labour.
As per Clause 7.0 of the General Condition of Contract (GCC), Escalation will not be paid to the Contractor during execution phase. That, after hearing the explanation given by the Chief Engineer PWD (B) as to high quoted rate and after detailed discussion, the HPC recommended to allot the Work to UPRNN Ltd at their own quoted Rate which is 21% above the Estimated Cost. Thereafter, on 4th March, 2019, Letter of Award (LOA) was issued to UPRNN Ltd for the Work as per their own quoted rate amounting to Rs 127,75,98,465.00/- Only which is 21% ABOVE the estimated cost.
That, however, the following excerpts from the information provided by the office of the Chief Engineer PWD (B) and the Office of the Executive Engineer, PWD (B), Shillong Building Division, Shillong relating to the “Construction of the New Assembly Building at Mawdiangdiang, Shillong” raises serious doubts of irregularities, defalcation of funds, money laundering and serious case of corruption by all parties/departments/officers concern.
The Proceedings of the HPC Dated 21-02-2019 and 28-02-2019 as well as the Copy of the LOA dated 4th March, 2019 is crystal clear that the Amount of Tender for the Work is Rs 127,75,98,465.00/- Only which is 21% ABOVE the estimated cost and no further escalation will be accepted during the execution stages. This was decided by the HPC and it is one of the Condition written in the GCC.
However, it is strange that the Office of the Chief Engineer PWD (B) has no knowledge whether there is any escalation/inflation because on this query he had forwarded the RTI application to the Office of the Executive Engineer, PWD (B), Shillong Division.
The office of the Executive Engineer, PWD (B), then replied to the affirmative that there was an inflation from the original cost and the Project is now costing Rs 177,78,17,000.00/- only out of which an amount of Rs 160,29,78,049.00/- has already been released/paid to the Contractor till date.
It is also replied by the same Officer that the Original Approved cost is Rs. 141,14,84,000.00 which is completely opposite as to the information provided by the Office of the Chief Engineer PWD (Building) vide the LOA issued and the proceedings of the HPC which show that the tender amount is Rs 127,75,98,465.00/-.
Now the question that begs for an answer, is how did the EE PWD (Building) came up with the above mentioned ‘Original Approved cost’ when the LOA issued to the UPRNN Ltd is only Rs 127,75,98,465.00/-? Who authorised the said EE PWD (Building) to change the cost of tender value from the amount provided in the LOA to that of the so called ‘Original Approved Cost’?
When asked whether the HPC has approved the said Cost escalation, the answer provided by the EE PWD (Building) stated that there was NO approval as such as it was never sought for. This is completely illegal, as it is clear that the OWNER of this Project is the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and the MPWD Building is only the Executing agency on behalf of the Assembly.
Then how come its approval was not sought in the case of inflation of the Project Cost? Or are there complicity between the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and the MPWD Building in this illegal act? Based on the above facts and circumstances, HYC demand from the HPC to recommend to the State Government for conducting an independent Inquiry.
The HYC urged that the inquiry be preferably by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), on the alleged irregularities, defalcation of public fund and corruption by inflating, escalating the cost of the Project without following due process and to fix responsibility on every person involved in this illegal act. The Memorandum was sign by the President Mr. Roberjune Kharjahrin and general secretary Mr. Roykupar Synrem of the central body.
