HT Correspondent
NAHARLAGUN, July 17: The All Arunachal Contractor’s Welfare Association (AACWA), the apex body representing the contractor fraternity of Arunachal Pradesh, has raised strong objections over the tendering process adopted for road construction under the Frontier Highway project, alleging that it severely restricts the participation of local contractors.
In an official statement issued on Thursday, the AACWA welcomed the large-scale development in the state’s road infrastructure, particularly under the Frontier Highway initiative, but questioned the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) over what it termed a “questionable” tendering procedure.
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The association alleged that the tendering process has been pre-designed in a way that excludes local registered contractors from Arunachal Pradesh and the Northeast region by setting the estimated cost of individual packages at such high values that no local contractor can qualify on their own.
Despite repeated representations from the AACWA requesting that the highway works be split into smaller packages to enable greater participation of local contractors, the appeals have reportedly gone unheeded.
The AACWA further pointed out that many central infrastructure projects under MoRTH and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) are eventually executed by local contractors as sub-contractors, even though they are not allowed to participate as primary bidders.
“This defeats the very spirit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan ‘Vocal for Local’,” the association stated.
It added that participation of local firms in tenders for central flagship schemes has become increasingly difficult as these programmes are largely controlled by central departments and public sector undertakings from outside the region.
Calling the situation “deeply concerning,” the AACWA urged the Arunachal Pradesh government to intervene and take up the matter with MoRTH.
The association demanded that the current tenders be scrapped and the work packages restructured into smaller components, thereby creating a level playing field for local contractors.
In addition to the tendering concerns, the AACWA also highlighted the financial difficulties being faced by contractors due to delayed payments.
It urged the state government to immediately release pending funds for ongoing works sanctioned under various heads, including the Budget Estimates (BE), Revised Estimates (RE), State Annual Status of Critical Infrastructure (SASCI), Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), MGNREGA, and other centrally sponsored schemes.
“The delay in fund disbursal is causing severe financial stress to contractors and is hampering timely completion of development projects,” the AACWA stated.
The association reiterated its commitment to contribute to the state’s infrastructure development but appealed for a fair and enabling environment where local expertise is not sidelined.
