Team Goemkarponn
MARGAO: The All Goa Road Contractors’ Association has voiced strong opposition to the government’s recent decision to remove the 20% cap on underbidding for PWD and other government tenders. The group has called for the immediate restoration of the earlier circular, warning that the new policy could lead to poor-quality infrastructure and financial losses.
During a meeting held on Tuesday at the BPS Club, Association members unanimously demanded the cancellation of the revised rule, which allows contractors to submit bids significantly lower than the project estimate.
Speaking to the media, Association president Amarnath Desai said the removal of the 20% limit could attract outside contractors who might quote unrealistically low prices to secure contracts, only to either leave the work incomplete or deliver substandard results. “We’ve already raised this issue with the Chief Minister, who is also the PWD Minister, and after today’s meeting, we plan to meet him again to push for a rollback,” Desai added.
He cautioned that the change could result in exploitation of the tendering system, undermining local contractors and leading to compromised project outcomes. When asked about allegations of contractors paying high commissions to win work, Desai denied any such practices.
Contractor Santosh George, also present at the meeting, suggested the government impose a ban on road digging from May 1 each year. This, he said, would ensure timely restoration of roads ahead of the monsoon and reduce disruption during the rainy season.
