Withdraw notification on PWD contractors: GFP

NT NETWORK

Panaji

The Goa Forward Party has demanded that the government immediately withdraw its recent notification as issued through the office of the principal chief engineer of the public works department, which exorbitantly increases the limit of the financial conditions for PWD contractors, as well as makes compulsory for them to possess crores of rupees worth machinery, including hot mix plant.

“These new guidelines have been purposely issued to benefit 2-3 non-Goan contractors, in turn wiping out 1,000 plus local enlisted contractors, who have been carrying out works for PWD and water resources department, as well as those Goans, who have been hiring out their machinery to these contractors,” the GFP added.

Addressing a press conference in the city, the GFP general secretary, Prashant Naik said that the 1,000 plus contractors, who were carrying out works in the categories such as buildings, roads/ bridges/ land development, water supply and waste water disposal, and water resources works including hydraulics and marine works, besides under the electrical and furniture categories, were self-employed and also creating jobs for other Goans.

“The new notification increases the limit of the financial conditions for these contractors exorbitantly, besides hiking amounts of solvency certificates to be furnished by them,” the GFP general secretary stated, adding that these contractors carrying out works in various categories from I-AA (Super) to V will now also need to have diploma/ degree holders in civil engineering with many years of experience.

“The non-Goan contractors carrying out works for the PWD would however have advantage of bringing such engineers from their native places, whose credentials would be difficult to verify,” he noted.

The GFP vice-president, Durgadas Kamat, speaking on the occasion said that during a difficult period of Corona pandemic, the government has hiked water tariff by nearly 80 per cent as also raised the fee for new power connections from the existing Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000. He further demanded that the government rollback these hikes.