BJP Meghalaya Urges Govt to Relax PHE Tender Norms to Support Local Contractors

Reacting to the controversy surrounding the award of nearly Rs 1,900 crore worth of PHE projects to Hyderabad-based BAC Infratech Pvt Ltd, Kharkrang said that although the department has clarified that the tendering process was transparent, the eligibility criteria remain a major concern.

According to him, stringent conditions such as high turnover requirements and prior experience in executing large-scale projects have effectively prevented local contractors from directly participating in such tenders.

Kharkrang said the issue is particularly significant at a time when Meghalaya is facing unemployment challenges and local entrepreneurs require more opportunities to expand and strengthen their businesses.

He further pointed out that many large contracts awarded to outside firms are eventually subcontracted to local contractors, indicating that local firms possess the capability to execute the works efficiently.

The BJP Meghalaya spokesperson also urged the government to restructure tender conditions and, wherever feasible, divide large projects into smaller packages to facilitate direct participation by local contractors.

However, he refrained from commenting on specific firms or individual contracts, stating that his concern was focused on ensuring fairer opportunities for local contractors in general.