Shillong, August 25: Voice of the People Party (VPP) legislator Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit on Tuesday sought greater transparency over the proposed ₹850-crore Phase II of the New Shillong Township Water Supply Scheme, questioning why the entire project was being tendered as a single package.

Raising the matter during Zero Hour under Rule 49A of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, Basaiawmoit referred to a Shillong Times report published on August 7 on the tender and said the Assembly should seek clarity before the contract is awarded and the State becomes financially committed.

Basaiawmoit said the government had reportedly assured local contractors’ associations that Phase II would not be tendered as a single package, particularly since several components did not require highly specialised technical expertise.

He questioned why the project had nevertheless been bundled into one massive contract and warned that such a structure could prevent capable local contractors from competing because of the financial and technical requirements of an ₹850-crore project.

“The issue is not whether local contractors should receive unfair preference. The issue is whether the tender structure itself is unnecessarily restricting competition,” he said.

The VPP legislator sought clarification from the Public Health Engineering Minister on the Detailed Project Report (DPR), complete Bill of Quantities, completion and performance of Phase I, justification for the ₹850-crore Phase II project and the rationale for not dividing the work into smaller, technically appropriate and geographically viable packages.

He also sought details on the number of Meghalaya-based contractors capable of competing for the entire project, measures to facilitate meaningful participation by competent local contractors, and safeguards to ensure genuine competition and value for public money.

Basaiawmoit further questioned the State’s ability to finance the project when pending payments to contractors implementing Jal Jeevan Mission schemes had reportedly crossed ₹900 crore.

“₹850 crore is not merely a figure in a tender document. It is taxpayers’ money. Every rupee must be justified, every process must be transparent, and every contract must deliver value to the people of Meghalaya,” he asserted.

He urged the government to place before the House the DPR, Bill of Quantities, Phase I expenditure and performance details, justification for the Phase II tender structure, and the financial plan and funding pattern before awarding the contract.

He also demanded that the existing bid be cancelled and a fresh tender floated if the concerns were not adequately addressed.

Marak Defends Single EPC Contract

Responding to the Zero Hour notice, Public Health Engineering Minister Marcuise N. Marak defended the decision to execute Phase II through a single Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract, saying the model would provide unified responsibility, better coordination and stronger accountability.

Marak said having one contractor would allow traffic management and public-safety arrangements during construction to be coordinated more efficiently with the police and other departments.

He said multiple contractors could create coordination difficulties, as each would have to separately approach different departments for permissions related to road cutting, restoration and other statutory requirements.

The minister also maintained that splitting the project into multiple packages could weaken the effectiveness of defect-liability provisions because the various components of the water-supply system are interconnected and collectively required to ensure a continuous 24-hour water supply.

“If multiple packages are awarded, it will be difficult for the department to monitor and supervise the work effectively and ensure the uninterrupted supply of safe drinking water to the public,” Marak said.

Under the proposed EPC arrangement, the selected contractor would also be responsible for operating and maintaining the entire water-supply system for three years, including ensuring uninterrupted water supply to households, institutions and other intended consumers.

Marak argued that assigning different components to multiple contractors could make it difficult to establish responsibility when technical failures or disruptions occurred.

He said the EPC model was justified as it would provide an integrated execution framework, reduce coordination and interface risks, improve control over cost and timelines, ensure performance-based accountability and facilitate timely delivery of a complete and functional water-supply system for New Shillong Township.

The minister’s response came after Basaiawmoit questioned whether the ₹850-crore project could instead be divided into smaller, technically suitable and geographically viable packages to encourage wider competition, including participation by competent local contractors.