No extra cost beyond tendered amount to be allowed: PWD
Kolkata: The state Public Works Department (PWD) has directed its officials not to allow any kind of additional cost beyond the tender amount for any work under the State Development Scheme (Plan) head. The move comes in the wake of the recent trend of upward revision of project cost in some projects and the department feels that due diligence is not being done while formulating project proposals and DPRs.
"The work should be completed as per specification within the tendered amount in all respects. The other components of the administratively approved project namely contingency charges, quality control charges, supervision consultancy charges, utility shifting charges should be utilised for which it is considered in the administrative approval. Under no circumstances, no proposal for upward revision of tendered amount will be entertained," read the notification.
It may be mentioned that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had asked the PWD to make provisions for land prior to submission of any kind of Detailed Project Report (DPR) for clearance. The department has set up a five-member "project scrutiny committee" to consider proposals of upward revision of tendered amount in case there is an urgent need for such a revision. The five-member committee will be headed by engineer-in-chief and ex-officio secretary, PWD. The member convener is joint secretary (Works), PWD, and other members are namely the chief engineer, headquarter, PW Directorate, chief engineer, headquarter, PW (Road) Directorate and financial advisor, PWD. Despite this, if there is a need for upward revision then the estimated amount has to be sent to the committee for approval. "It has been noticed that even after clearance from the Finance department, some projects have been stalled because of land problems or the cost of the project becoming much higher than the submitted budget.
"The Chief Minister wanted the land problem to be resolved first and accordingly prepare the DPR of a project," a senior officer of the PWD department said.