Amitava Saha  dated 14\10\2010

Today’s episode

I am writing in this episode that two years ago I use to write in postcards different problems of day to day engineering problems that use to come out in the newspapers and suggest remedies to Mr.Banibrata Roy ex-Scretary-General FAETO. Faeto is a all India organization of goverent engineers. Mr.Roy got irritated and told me that it is not his job to look after remedies of engineering problems.It also to be mentioned that in 1982 when I joined public works department I told Faeto leaders that it is the duty of the government engineers especially the government engineering organizations to advice the government what engineering work will be good for the common people.I was told by the leaders that the engineering association is only forwards it’s activity to the improvement of pay structures and other allied matters of the engineers and they also told that if the engineers try to advice the government then it will be told that engineers are doing politics.

Mr.Roy is now Chief Engineer (Special Projects).Six months ago I began to write to all Chief Engineers of public works directorate the different problems that use to come in the newspapers and their remedies.I was warned not to write this kind of letters.

I am trying this time to spread my ideas more broadly.

I have always tried to deal with the problems of common people and how a government officer should deal with it.

I have known contracters from childhood. My three maternal uncles were contracters. I have seen in P.W.D. system most of the contractors start their life traveling in buses and end their life with two houses and two cars. I am pointing out that if the contractors can earn so much money then the mazdoors who work under the contractor why they will be born half fed and die half fed.Contractors are getting government money and it is the duty of the government engineers who write cheues to contractors to see that the mazdoors get a sum so that their families are well fed and have a good future.I spoke to engineers about this matter and each one said they are not interested.

I was in a P.W.D. office which use do rate analysis of items in tender schedule. Labour rate that use to be taken in the analysis was added to the item rate. I pointed out that if labour rate is considered in analysis then why will not the engineers enforce that mazdoors get their due share of profit namely wages when this engineers write cheues to contractors Engineers are Indian citizen and by the Constitution everyone should be fed and given agood living in India.Engineers have a part to play. Recently I went to the same office as Iwas transferred for saying all this and the executive engineer Mr. Hazra told me that this time in rate analysis they have increased the wages of the mazdoors.I said unless the site engineers look after the wages of mazdoors and supervise that contractors pay reasonable wages to the mazdoors the contractors will take away the extra wages.

I will say another point.

It is seen in item rate contract when a tender is floated and contractors drops tenders I have seen that 30% less tender is quoted and being the lowest the contractor got the workorder.The work was completed before I joinded this office. I had to pay the cheque.The uestion is as per rate analysis say the work is Rs.10/. 30%less being tender value the actual rate is Rs7/.

Engineers who did rate analysis at the office by going through documents and analyzing the different rates supply rates and other ingradients found the item rate to be Rs10/. The tender schedule book was prepared at Kolkata.

The engineers at site after completion of work write that work has been done as per tender specification. Work at tender specification was done at Rs7/.

The engineers will have to take a decision which is correct. Two rates cannot be correct at the same time.

The fllacy will be presented to the Chief Engineer.

Amitava Saha   dated 14-10-2010

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West Bengal  India