Odisha works dept decides not to float new tender in view of expenditure rationalization measures

BHUBANESWAR: As part of the Odisha government’s expenditure rationalization measures, the state works department on Thursday decided that there will be no new tender for execution of any works for the current financial year.
“If it is necessary to meet any emergent public service, floating of new tender exceeding value of Rs 5 crore would now require prior concurrence of the state finance department. For values less than Rs 5 crore, the department will take approval of the state government before floating new tender,” said an order issued by state works secretary Krishan Kumar.
The works department that implements major road, infrastructure and building projects of the state government also decided to review all the tenders, which has already been floated.
“If a tender is not urgent in nature, the same should be cancelled and work order should not be issued. Tenders related to new official buildings, guest houses and residential buildings should also be cancelled for a period of two years till March 31, 2022,” said an official of the works department.
The works department has decided that projects taken up under the rural infrastructure development fund with assistance from NABARD and other externally-aided projects would be implemented in a time bound manner. Decision has also been taken that all the ongoing and incomplete projects will be implemented expeditiously.
The department has constituted a four member committee headed by engineer-in-chief (civil) that would examine the cases to be taken out of the state plan scheme and non-plan scheme exceeding value of more than Rs 1 crore, which are proposed to be executed by floating tender. The committee would also submit a report to the department on urgency, importance and necessity of projects, which would be taken up during this year.
The committee would also review projects where tender have already been floated but not yet finalized.
Official sources said despite the expenditure rationalization measures, the government has decided to go ahead with the projects taken up under the ABADHA scheme for transformation of Puri into a world-class heritage city and EKAMRA projects for development of areas around the Lingaraj temple in the city. Both the projects are implemented by the state works department.