Bhubaneswar: A large number of contractors staged a demonstration near the PMG Square in Bhubaneswar on Friday alleging irregularities in the tender policy adopted by the state government.
Protesting under the banner of Odisha Contractors’ Association Joint Forum, the demonstrators demanded implementation of their eight-point charter of demands.
Raising slogans and holding placards, the demo
nstrators urged the government to review recent changes made in the tender process for different works.They alleged that modifications introduced in the tender system could compromise transparency in the awarding of construction-related works.
While government contracts are awarded through a tender process to ensure fairness and transparency, the protesting contractors claimed that certain new provisions may cause manipulation during tender submission.
Leaders of the association claimed that the revised rules are structured in a manner that could prevent genuinely eligible contractors from benefiting and allow engineers to favour selected individuals.
Members of the contractors’ association threatened to intensify their stir and launch an indefinite agitation if their demands are not met.