Contractors gherao minister’s residence

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Bhubaneswar: Members of All Odisha Contractors’ Association gheraoed the residence of Steel and Mines minister Prafulla Mallick here Monday accusing the state government of being indifferent to them.
They alleged that Odia contractors were being sidelined and non-Odia contractors were being doled out undue favours by the state government.
The association’s president, Prabhat Das, claimed that more than 90 per cent of construction work undertaken by the state government were being awarded to the non-Odia contractors.
Demanding acceptance of their (association’s) 27-point charter by the government, Das said, “Odia contractors are left with contracts hardly worth `500 crores while the lion’s share is awarded to non-Odias.”
The contractors alleged that the government has been intentionally neglecting them.
“The state must ensure that non-Odia contractors are not allowed to participate in tenders of up to `200 crores,” Das added.
Das also pointed at the prevailing PC (percentage) culture, an infamous term denoting kickbacks, which had hogged headlines in the state last year.
“Construction work that can be completed with a budget of `100 crores is being pegged at inflated cost of `500 crores,” he said.
Alleging that corruption has reached an all-time high in the state he added that the inflated money was shared among all concerned. “Such activities are being carried out at the behest of the third floor. Corruption will ruin the state,” Das said.
Mallick claimed that the demonstration was held without any prior information.
“The association had earlier apprised me about the matter and I had assured to resolve it after discussion with Finance minister and Finance secretary. However, they resorted to the protest today which is unconstitutional and illegal, too,” Mallick said.
GOVT DEFENDED
Meanwhile, the All Odisha PHD Contractors Association president, Jagdish Patra, came to the defence of the state government saying it has no role in the e-tendering process and the selection of the contractor was done as per the technical eligibility criteria and not whether he is Odia or non-Odia. He also said that many Odia contractors were working outside the state and such protests would send out a wrong signal.