Assn urges govt to table its demands in assembly

ITANAGAR, Aug 13: The All Arunachal Contractor’s Welfare Association (AACWA) has requested the state government to table the demands submitted by the association during zero hour of the legislative assembly session scheduled to be held from 27 to 29 August.

The demands include adoption of 2.5 percent bank guarantee or performance guarantee as security deposit for all works executed under the state government for tribal contractors; enhancement of tender limits for Classes 5 to 3 categories under the APPWD; and modification of the Arunachal Pradesh District Based Entrepreneurs & Profession (Incentive Development and Promotion) Act, 2015.

Stating that “Assam has adopted 2.5 percent bank guarantee/performance guarantee amount of total tender values after getting work order for ST/SC contractors,” the association argued that “most of the contractors in our state are tribal people but departments adopt five percent bank guarantee or performance guarantee as security deposit.”

Seeking enhancement of the tender limits for Classes 5 to 3 categories under the APPWD, the association proposed that Class 5 category’s tender limit be increased from Rs 50 lakhs to Rs 1 crore; from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore for Class 4 category; and from Rs 3 crore to Rs 5 crore for Class 3 category.

Saying that the Arunachal Pradesh District Based Entrepreneurs and Profession Act has created a “huge gap” between the contractor community and the public “due to complete restriction of doing business in other districts,” the association suggested “lifting the jurisdiction-wise participation of tender for Classes 2 and 1 contractors.”

Stating that Arunachal is “still underdeveloped and local contractors, suppliers, entrepreneurs and shopkeepers cannot compete with the rates of companies and manufacturers for any kind of supply items,” the AACWA reiterated its opposition to the use of the Government e-Marketing portal in the state.