Govt awaiting response of ministry on request alloting of EMRS to state agencies

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 16, 2021

The state government is waiting for the response of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs on the request to allow state agencies and corporations for construction of the Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS).

“Our Chief Minister have taken up and written a letter to the ministry…to consider giving (the work) to the state agencies and corporations…but till date reply have not been given (by the ministry),” Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui told the Assembly on Tuesday. 

He was replying to a query raised by Mawsynram legislator Himalaya Shangpliang on the failure of the government to allot such works to state agencies. 

This was after the minister informed that the Manipur Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (MIDC) was selected to execute the construction work for 25 EMRS, Water and Power Consultancy Services Ltd (WAPCOS) for 13 EMRS and Engineering cell, Education for 2 EMRS.

Rymbui however said the project has been sanctioned by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, which has entrusted the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) to implement this project. 

The NESTS have called Expression of Interest (EOI) for the agencies to implement this project.

“In fact the education and planning departments have written to MeECL, MGCC, Meghalaya Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Public Works Department (PWD) to participate in this EOI,” he said.

“But they (state agencies) could not participate in this EOI as that period was in the midst of pandemic. It seems that the covid monitoring system here is very stringent that time these departments and corporations or PSUs in our state could not participate and the other agencies from outside could participated, that is why the NESTS allotted those works to them,” he added. 

The minister further informed that soil testing is going on for some of the EMRS implemented by the WAPCOS.

“For the 25 projects allotted to MIDC, that have not been sanction and in fact feasibility report and site selected have not been given so we are waiting for that,” he said. 

Rymbui said he cannot assure the House since these EMRS are allotted based on EOI. “(However), it is our duty to persuade the Govt of India if possible to allot the projects to state agencies,” he added.

On whether the government is contemplating to set up the engineering wing in the education department, the minister however said the matter will be looked into.

“There is always a plan but we cannot say right now because we have to see what is the cost of establishing the engineering wing and its recurring cost.

We have seen even these projects which come to the state it depends on the EOI even if education department have its own engineering wing, we cannot assure that these projects will go to the education department as whether we are lowest bidder or not that is a different issue altogether,” he stated.