SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Contractors and Suppliers Association (MCSA) has urged the State Health Department to split large hospital repair and renovation projects into smaller packages, arguing that the current tendering system sidelines capable local contractors.
A high-level delegation of the Association met Health Minister Weiladmiki Shylla to raise concerns over how major infrastructure works under the Health Department are presently being tendered.
According to the MCSA, repair and renovation works for district hospitals in Jowai, Nongpoh, Nongstoiñ, Mawiet, and other areas are being bundled into single, large-scale packages.
The Association contended that such mega tenders effectively exclude small and medium local contractors who possess the technical expertise but lack the substantial capital required to bid for large packages.
“These repair works are manageable. If they are split into smaller segments, several local contractors can earn their livelihood while contributing to the state’s development,” said Emanuel Syiem Malniang, Secretary of the MCSA.
Responding to the demand, Health Minister Weiladmiki Shylla expressed understanding of the contractors’ concerns but highlighted a major administrative challenge faced by the department — a severe shortage of engineering manpower.
He explained that unlike the Public Works Department (PWD), the Health Department’s engineering wing is relatively new and critically understaffed.
In several districts, a single Junior Engineer (JE) is tasked with overseeing all ongoing projects, making it difficult to manage multiple contractors simultaneously.
“Splitting one large project into several smaller ones would require monitoring multiple sites at the same time, which is not feasible with the current manpower,” the Minister noted.
He also pointed out that certain specialised medical infrastructure works are highly technical in nature and cannot be fragmented without compromising quality and safety standards.
While acknowledging the constraints, the MCSA urged the government to ensure that even when projects remain as single packages, tender eligibility criteria should not unfairly disqualify competent local contractors.
The Minister assured the Association that the department would explore ways to accommodate their concerns wherever feasible, while maintaining effective administrative oversight. He added that efforts are underway to recruit additional engineering staff, which could eventually allow greater flexibility in structuring future projects.
