Nagaland contractors’ and suppliers’ union (NCSU) Friday said it has taken strong exception to the manner in which the state cabinet, at its meeting September 13, handled NCSU issue of pending bills.

In a point-by-point response to state cabinet’s observations and decision, NCSU president Pele Khezhie and general secretary John Kath termed the cabinet decision as “biased and one-sided to suit their own conveniences, thereby depriving the due share of NCSU members.”

Responding to state cabinet’s observation that up to 2010, payment to contractors amounting to Rs. 46 crores were made to various departments including R&B, PHE and housing, NCSU however said liabilities amounting to several crores of rupees were released by various departments outside NCSU registered members from 2002 to 2010.

NCSU has demanded that responsible department immediately clarify as to whom payments were made.
On its acknowledgement letter, NCSU said the cabinet “totally twisted” and “claimed” there were no more pending bills under R&B department.

In this regard, NCSU opined that the cabinet should be thorough in all the contents before summing up.
With regard to the acknowledgement the letter to G. Kaito Aye minister R&B, NCSU clarified that, its letter dated April 21, 2010 -copies of which were served to the minister for PWD (R&B) and the principal secretary to chief minister- had expressed gratitude to   G. Kaito Aye for fulfilling his commitment by releasing payment of pending bills in favour of NCSU members during December 2009 against district level verification committee (DLVC) list under R&B department of 2002.

NCSU pointed out that in the second para of the letter, it had stated that there were no more pending bills remaining with NCSU office under (R&B) against DLVC list except in PHED, housing and mechanical. NCSU contended that it did not mean that there were no more pending bills under (R&B).

According to NCSU, the fact was that many pending bills of its members were missed out while being compiled by it during 2002, due to late submission of pending bills that included new registered members.

Moreover, NCSU said there were more pending bills under State Level Re-verification Committee (SLRVC), which NCSU head office received after 2002 onward and submitted to the government in the year 2010.

NCSU, therefore, said that all the present pending bills of its members have already been verified or re-verified.
In this regard, the union made its position clear that an amount of Rs. 28 crore under PWD (R&B) was made in part payments from 2002 to December 2009, over a period of seven years.

On expressing appreciation to the chief minister Neiphiu Rio, NCSU said it stood by what it wrote or expressed in the acknowledgement letter.

In response to cabinet letter that even after submitting the acknowledgement it submitted fresh list of payments (Rs. 18.19 crores in R&B department, Rs. 6.61 crores in Housing Department and Rs.11.02 crores in PHED), NCSU clarified that all those bills received after 2002 to 2010 amounting to Rs. 35.83 crore were yet to released, and also duly verified by competent technical engineers.

While reiterating its repeated rejection of cabinet decision of setting up SIT to verify NCSU pending bills, the union has instead appealed to the state government to invite CBI or constitute independent judiciary committee to verify pending bills, table tender, escalation of rate and all the developmental works in the state.

Further, clarifying that NLA on March 17, 2012 had passed an amount of Rs. 39.83 crore to clear up dues to the contractors, NCSU asked “where has this budget provision of Rs. 39.83 crores gone and how this amount disappeared?.”

On latest cabinet decision to let the SIT table its report, after which the state government was prepared to make payments for any liabilities if found genuine, the NCSU said its general body meeting held July 18, 2012 unanimously rejected the cabinet decision, therefore cooperating with SIT to re-verify pending bills did not arise.

In view of its decision, NCSU expressed regrets and declared that it cannot cooperate with the contents, terms and conditions of the September 13 state cabinet decision as it was adding “insult to injury to the members of NCSU with regard to their long pending bills.”

NCSU said in view of state government total failure to fulfill its demand, the union was compelled to launch indefinite phase-III agitation from September 18.

Meanwhile, the union has directed all NCSU registered members to report union head office September 17 next during office hours, and cautioned that erring members would be penalized by cancellation of their registration.