ITANAGAR, 8 Jun: Following the arrest of the DFO and the RFO of the Banderdewa forest division for seeking bribe from one Nabam Akam, the All Arunachal Contractor’s Welfare Association (AACWA) has urged Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein to issue clear directions to the legislators, secretaries and commissioners not to expect commissions from ground-level officers.
Terming the incident an eye-opener, the AACWA welcomed the step taken by Akam to expose the officers.
“Sometimes, a few government officials at the ground level become victims between contractors and higher authorities as the latter expect commission from each project, which then leads to the executing officers asking for commission from contractors. At present, 15 to 20 percent commission is open practice in all working departments in the state, even in building works, as expectations start from higher levels. The contractors execute their works under compulsion and to save their status,” the AACWA said in a statement.
It also urged contractors to execute works as per specifications while maintaining quality and demand bills as per the works’ progress.
“If release of payment is refused, contractors can take legal measures, but in our state, some contractors require bills before starting work and some of them don’t maintain quality. As such, they themselves offer commission to officers for release of payment, which is a weakness on the part of contractors as well,” the AACWA said.
Citing the work ethic of the Power Grid, the AACWA said that “its first and foremost target is achieving the quality of work. They never ask for commission from contractors.”
