A Departmental Coordination Meeting of North/East circle was convened at 11 A.M. The meeting was chaired by the Hon’ble Minister, Roads and Bridges, Shri D.T Lepcha. The list of officers present is appended at Annexure “A”.

The meeting started with the Additional Chief Engineer (North/East) extending a warm welcome to the Hon’ble Minister, Advisor and all the participants of the meeting. He began his address by stressing that the main objective of the meeting was to review the progress of works. Action taken report was reviewed and the issues taken up in the last coordination meeting were discussed.

1. The Hon’ble Minister expressed his satisfaction with the performance of the department and the good reputation being earned. He instructed the following points:

a. To complete all ongoing schemes as per schedule date and to submit the Utilisation certificate and progress report on time.

b. Procurement of dozer to be given priority. Mechanical division to keep the machines like dozer etc. in working condition and upto date during monsoon season. Capacity building for driver of dozer to be organized and held immediately.

c. Land compensation bill and contractors payment to be cleared promptly.

d. All manpower i.e M/R Supervisors to be deployed for green mission. Disciplinary action to be taken against those who do not show up for work. Tree guards to be maintained.

e. Guest houses were being returned by Tourism Department and thus has to be maintained by Roads and Bridges Department.

f. Administration section should ensure proper office decorum and discipline. He directed all officers to maintain punctuality.

g. Criteria and guidelines for hilly areas to be followed during preparation of Detailed Project Report.

h. He informed that road tax is soon going to be implemented in Sikkim for which proposal has been submitted to the Assembly for approval.

2. PCE -cum-Secretary enquired from the Assistant Engineers if the number of Junior Engineers working under them were sufficient or not. Assistant Engineer Sub-Division IV reported that two numbers of Junior Engineers were excess. Under Station Sub

Division one number was in excess. PCE-cum-Secretary instructed the Administration section to call for explanation from all the Junior Engineers of North East circle who were not present at the meeting.

Now onwards all contractor should be asked to submit work schedule in the form of bar chart for works exceeding above Rs 1.00 crore .Proper methodology for the preparation of work schedule shall be followed. Clause for submission of bar chart to be included in Notice Inviting Tender.

Circular to be circulated regarding mandatory test for all works above Rs 1.00 crore .

PCE-cum-Secretary also instructed that Approved quarry chart should be specified in all DPR.

Various works under Central Sponsor Scheme (CSS) were reviewed and discussed circlewise as under:

3. NLCPR Works

i. Upgradation of Gangtok-Burtuk-Ranka road: Concern Assistant Engineer informed that the work was being delayed due to non delivery of bitumen. PCE-cum -Secretary directed the Division to submit a report within one week regarding the arrangement of bitumen and modality adopted to complete the work. Work to be completed by December 2008.

ii. Construction of diversion of road from Ranipool – Pakyong : Concern Divisional Engineer pointed that additional protective work is required at road curvature but PCE- cum -Secretary directed to complete the work within sanction amount and the incomplete portion of work can be taken up separately.

iii. Construction of Goshkhan Dara bridge: The detail design of superstructure to be obtained. Superintending Engineer (North/East) reported that work on well sinking is in progress and will require another two month to complete the same. PCE -cum-Secretary directed to be more proactive and instructed to complete the work in least time possible. Report to be submitted by July 2008.

4. NEC works

i. Construction of Gour bridge: Concern Assistant Engineer informed that Gour bridge is under progress. Chief Accounts Officer also informed that the approval for revised estimate of the work has not been received from NEC, Shillong. Divisional Engineer (North) to report regarding the approval of revised estimate by NEC. Work to be completed by December 2008.

ii. Construction of Tak Cham Chu bridge: The contractor of Tak cham chu bridge should be asked to submit an application regarding his acceptance to execute the launching of the bridge “AT PAR”. Thus accordingly a separate work order to be issued for launching of the bridge. Work to be completed by December 2008.

iii. Strengthening and carpeting of Sankalang-Bey-Sakyong Tingbong High school road: The work has been completed physically but final payment is yet to be made due to non release of fund from NEC.

iv. Upgradation of Marchak Tumlabong road: As reported by Divisional Engineer (North), one kilometer of formation cutting is incomplete due to non-receipt of forest clearance. PCE -cum-Secretary instructed the concern Divisional and Assistant Engineer to look up the matter. Requirement of bitumen to be given to store immediately.

v. Upgradation of Assam Pakyong road: For the bridge at Assam -Pakyong road all mandatory test to be done.

5. Inter State Connectivity

i. Duga Pacheykhani road: Concern Assistant Engineer informed that four kilometer has been completed on Duga Pacheykhani road. Work to be completed by 31st December 2008.

ii. The work of Rhenock Simana khola and Rangpo Duga Pendam are in progress.

iii. Sang Dipudara road and Pakyong Karthok road to be kept in abeyance.

6. BADP

i. Rongli Talkhra road: Divisional Engineer (East) has been directed to call the contractor for discussion to solve the matter and the detail report to be submitted within fifteen days.

7. Central Road Fund

i. The work on Sang-Zingla road to be completed by October 2008.

ii. The work on Sang Sirwani road to be completed by October 2008.

8. NABARD

i. Takchi Phatak road: Concern Assistant Engineer informed that the work was in progress but the delay is caused due to the felling of trees. Concerned Divisional Engineer and Assistant Engineer to sort out the matter with forest department. Work to be completed by March 2009.

9. TSP
i. Sankalang -Bey-Sakyong : The bitumen of SBS road was taken by Namchi Vok road. Divisional Engineer (North) and Divisional Engineer (Store) to sort out the problem. Work to be completed by December 2008.

ii. Dikchu-Sankalang-Mangan: All works to be stopped immediately as the road is being handed over to BRO.

iii. Gour Santok: Concern Assistant Engineer informed that the work is incomplete. Secretary instructed that the contractor should be called to settle the matter. Superintending Engineer (North/East) to give detail of work including sanction amount and work done by the contractor.

11. Helipad : Superintending Engineer (North/East) to report on the present status of the helipads at Lachung and Changu. Within one week a letter be written to Tourism Department regarding status of the helipads and to inform that Army has not allowed the construction of terminal building.

12. The Advisor shared his views and the following points were raised:
a. Employment opportunities to be given to the persons who had been trained under the programme of Capacity Building.
b. Award of Appreciation to be given to meritorious Engineers in order to boost their morale.
c. Road Reserve to be controlled by Roads and Bridges Department. Boundary pillars to constructed to demarcate the road reserve land and mutation to be done immediately.

13. The PCE-cum-Secretary (Mechanical) instructed that all pending hire charge bill to be cleared immediately. Pending bill details between 1999 to 2004 was also circulated to all the concern Assistant Engineers in the meeting. All hire charge bill for the year 2007-08 should also not be kept pending.

14. The PCE-cum-Secretary, Roads and Bridges then addressed the participants with his instructions which was as follows:

a. Administration
i. Work culture should be developed and their should also be Coordination and cooperation amongst various officers of the Department.

ii. Maintenance of records should be proper and unauthorized personnel should not be allowed to handle files and documents.

iii. All legal matters, parliament/Assembly queries to be responded promptly.

iv. All Divisional Engineers to submit a list of MR and Workcharge employees with date of appointment and performance report. No recommendations of new MR and Workcharge personnels to be forwarded to the head office.

b. Accounts
i. Tenders to be invited at appropriate levels as per Government norms. Agreement for each work to be done within 3 months of commencement of work. Technical sanction to be obtained immediately after issue of work order.

ii. PWD code and Manual and Sikkim Financial Rules to be followed strictly by all concerned.

iii. No revision of estimates to be entertained and sanction deviation statement more than +- 5% variations should be reported to the competent authority immediately. Difference in cost of stock materials to be submitted along with final bill.

iv. Test checks to be done by the competent authority with dates.

v. Details of those materials which can be recoverable during construction should be enclosed with land compensation statement.

c. Mechanical section

i. Judicious deployment of road machineries and defunct machineries to be disposed off as per norms.

ii. Recovery of road usage tax to be ascertained after its clearance and approval from Sikkim Legislative Assembly.

d. Stores

i. Henceforth no private procurement of materials shall be entertained except in exigencies.

ii. Blasting materials be procured for the monsoon period from stock suspense immediately and kept separately for the same.

iii. Quality of materials received at store be ensured.

iv. Quality control laboratory to be established in Jorethang during 2008-09.

e. Planning section

i. DPR be scrutinized thoroughly and lapses be corrected and rectified.

ii. Estimates should not be processed unless instructed by the competent authority.

iii. Assets Register should be created and maintained at circle level and Planning. Asset register includes all the existing road asset such as road formation, pavement crust thickness, drainages, masonary wall,culverts,bridges etc. To start with a register is to be kept at circle to note all the assets created by the completion of ongoing project,this can be done when final bill comes to circle. For existing asset a format for collection of all the existing data of assets will be circulated by Planning cell.

iv. For works above Rs 1.00 crore photographs to be submitted for different stages of construction for all type of funding including State Plan and a letter for the same to be issued to all divisions.

v. Progress report to be submitted to the head office by 5th of every month.
Monitoring and evaluation team consisting of Joint Director, Superintending Engineer concern, Senior Accounts Officer and Divisional Engineer(Planning) to report every six months on work progress of all centrally sponsored schemes and State plan works above Rs 1.00 crore every 3 months and point out reasons for delay if any.

The meeting ended with a vote of Thanks by the Superintending Engineer (North /East).