District council engg cell to be abolished

IMPHAL, Sept 28 : Finalization for total abolition of the existing District Council Engineering Cell/ Section (Wing-I & Wing-II) under the administrative control of the hills department government of Manipur will be made with the completion of works under taken up by the DCECs which are scheduled to end during the current financial year.

Disclosing this, a highly placed official source said that, the decision for abolishing of the said engineering cell of the ADC was taken during a Cabinet meeting held on April 29 this year, by incorporating the laid down policies to merge the two engineering cells of the District Council (Wing-I & Wing-II) with Manipur Tribal Development Corporation Ltd and the same has bee reaffirmed by the recent sitting of the state cabinet.

The official source further mentioned that the decision was made by the state government following the accumulating instances of no further deposit work have been taken up by the two engineering cells of the district council from any other department of the government and which tend to the lack of viabilities in resource mobilizations.

It may be mentioned that, six Hill Autonomous District Council of Manipur has established a District Council Engineer Cell/Cell/Section (Wing-I & Wing-II with Manipur Tribal Development Corporation Ltd. and no further deposit will be taken up by the two engineering cells of the district Council from any other department of the government.

In fact the two wings of the engineering cells of the District Council Engineering Cell-Wing I & Wing II are currently undertaking the following Deposit works of various state government departments, and government is awaiting for the completion under taking works by the both engineering cells of the District councils including constructions of auditorium of the Arts & Culture Deptt. at Hapta Kangjeibung (Palace Compound), Imphal, Construction of 2900 Nos of IARHs (Prehab), constructions of 42 Nos of CRCs (Prehab) constructions of 18 Nos of CRCs (Brick), constructions of IARHs (Brick), constructions of veterinary hospitals at Churachandpur, Ukhrul, Chandel, Tamenglong and Senapati, constructions of CHCs/PHCs and PHSCs of Health department at Wangoi, Sevon and Tousem, constructions of CMO office at Porompat taken up by Engineering Wing-II, construction of ITI block at Phaknung, construction of type-III quarters at CMO office Senapti, construction of Veterinary hospitals at Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishnupur districts.

The official source said the since the above mentioned works have been executed under an agreement signed between the District Council Enggineering Cells with the concerned department, the two wings of engineering cells are bound to complete of the on-going deposit works after-mentioned within the current financial year.

On the other hand to avoid the legal complicacies, it is imperative to complete at least the ongoing works by obtaining deposit for the on going works and complete the works in hand and handed over to the depositors, the official source added.

In the meantime, referring to the recent comments made by the state Finance department in connection with the abolishing of the two engineering cells of the District Autonomous District Councils of the state, Finance Department has commented that, the proposal talks of completing on-going works by District Councils Engineering Cells (DCEC) and then merging with Manipur Tribal Development Corporation (MTDC). If all on-going works are completed then its is presumed that there will be no balance works with DCEC. The proposal also mentioned reappropriating the regular staffs to the respective district councils. In other words, once the above is completed, the DCECs have neither any pending works nor regular staff to be taken care of. The only residual transfer is of contractual staff, who is any case do not have any claim to merge with MTDC. The opinion of proposal is ab-initio impracticable and lopsided.

The official source further mentioned that, in order to facilitate the process to merge the district council engineering cell into the MTDC Ltd. no deposit for fresh works should been entrusted with the DCECs.

The official source also mentioned that, those regular employees of both Technical and non technical from the six ADCs utilized in the CDECs excepting the Executive Engineering whose service belongs to Sadar Hills ADC, may be reappropriated to their respective district councils and those contractual staffs may be transferred to MTDC after completion of the on-going works in consultation with MTDC.

The official source also further mentioned that, the official merger and modalities of the DCEC with MTDC regarding status of officers and staff may be worked out within the current financial year, the official source added.