SHILLONG, MAY 20: Public Health Engineering (PHE) Minister Marcuise N Marak on Wednesday rejected allegations that the department favoured a Hyderabad-based firm for Rs 1,900 crore worth of projects, asserting that all contract works under the Jal Jeevan Mission and other schemes followed government norms.

“On May 18, I saw in the paper which says that 1900 crore projects has been favoured to Hyderabad firm BAC. I would say that it is totally incorrect,” Marak told reporters.

“PHE department follows all the norms which has to be adhered to especially in considering the contract works to everyone,” he said.

“Government is very particular about following the norms. There is a tender committee also and it is headed by the commissioner & secretary incharge PHE and officers from finance department and law department are also there.”

He added, “So all the norms have been adhered to and we don’t favour anybody as what the paper has alleged. Therefore, I would totally deny this. I don’t agree with this as this is totally incorrect.”

On the scale of JJM, the minister said, “Especially with regards to Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), I would say the total cost of JJM is 6737.409 crore covering 3762 standalone schemes and provisions of piped water supply to schools and anganwadi centres and other public institutions.” “This has been distributed across various local contractors and firms,” he noted.

Responding to reports based on RTI findings, Marak said, “Good that you have filed an RTI and you have gone through it. You should file RTIs, you should know the project. How many projects sanctioned, what is the amount and whom you have given the work but after getting the report if you simply start blaming then that is totally incorrect again.”

“I would urge anybody who is filing RTI to verify it first. Go to the grounds and then come to the conclusion,” he said.

“Therefore, I would totally disagree with this statement and the PHE department has gone through all the norms and we didn’t favour anybody.”

Explaining why some large firms secured contracts, Marak pointed to Government of India guidelines for major schemes.

“Practically I would say that big projects like JJM, JICA, AMRUT 2.0, NESID etc, these have to be tendered as per the government of India’s directives. Some of them have been given turnkey basis and some of them has been given on EPC (engineering, procurement & construction) which means it will start the design also, it will construct and it will finish and once it is finished it will hand over to the department.”

“Therefore, our local contractors, whoever will be capable of doing this is very less,” he said. “Practically speaking, the tender is so clear and so transparent, there is no scope of manipulating or favouring anybody.”

He added, “They got the projects probably because it has gone through the tender whichever is required as per the tender process, they have got it. Therefore, there is no question of favouring anybody.”

When asked about the Hyderabad firm, Marak said, “They must have got this work but it is not as what they have alleged as we don’t favour anybody. They have got the projects through the tendering process because technical requirement, the expertise requirement, the experience requirement were there and that is why they got it. Therefore, there is no question of favouring anybody and there is no favouritism at all.”

“If local contractors were qualified, they would have been given the work,” he said. “Especially in terms of EPC and turnkey basis, locals are very low as it required technical expertise and experience. Engineering, procurement and construction, our local contractors are very less,” Marak stated.

He clarified, “Bigger projects of JJM, JICA, AMRUT whatever, they are projects sanctioned by the government of India and their conditions is that they have to be given on turnkey basis and on EPC. So, we have to abide by the regulation and guidelines given by the government of India.”

“Accordingly, these were the firms that came forward and who are qualified and therefore, they got on the basis of their competency and experience,” he said.