Contractors serve deadline

SHILLONG, JULY 21: The North Garo Hills Tribal Contractors’ Association (NGHTCA) on Thursday served a 15-day deadline to the state government to release the bills of over Rs 24 crores pending with the two departments – PWD and PHE, failing which they will resort to agitations.

“We have unanimously decided in our meeting that the association will organize agitational programme in a democratic way, if the government fails to response to our demands within 15 days,” NGHTCA president Jagir M Sangma said on Thursday.

The association today also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister Mukul Sangma through the district deputy commissioner for speeding up clearing up the outstanding liabilities of the contract works of various departments under Resubelpara division.

According to the president, despite raising their demands from time to time at different levels but till now there has been no positive response.

Stating that the liabilities of the contract works in every department under the division is increasing, Sangma said, “A total of 1460 lakhs bills is pending with the PWD department alone while Rs 1000 lakh in PHE department.”

In the memorandum submitted to the CM, the association has highlighted the pending bills under the different Sub-Heads under PWD department which include – FDR (Natural Calamities) 849 (lakhs), 5054 (General) 57 (lakhs), 5054 (13 th Finance) 22 (lakhs), 5054 (SPA) 127 (lakhs), and 5054 (RIDF) 354 (lakhs).

In the PHE department, the pending bills under the different Sub-Heads include – 8443-RWSS (Plan) (Works) 500 (L), 8443-NRDWP (Schools & ICDS Centres) 100 (L), 8443-NRDWP (Sustainability) 400 (L), a total Rs 1000 lakhs approximately.-By Our Reporter