Team Herald
MARGAO: The Shadow Council for Margao on Wednesday demanded that the government stop tendering all concrete works till sand extracted from rivers is freely available as contractors are using black metal dust instead of sand for the works tendered to them.
Pointing out that the samples of mixed concrete collected by Water Resources Department on February 27 after they had stopped the work of constructing a nullah near Gujarat Samaj along the Eastern bypass has tested positive for sub-standard material, stern action against the contractor was also demanded.
Briefing media persons, Shadow Council for Margao Convener Savio Coutinho disclosed that the quality test of the sample collected from the nullah had a strength of only 57 kg per cm2 when the required strength is 140 kg per cm2 and that the cement, sand and black metal mixture that should be 1:2:4 was as poor as 1:5:9.
He pointed out that the common man has to purchase sand at very high rate as the State government is yet to finalise its sand extraction policy. “While people purchasing sand are harassed left, right and centre, contractors who take up government works abuse the procedure and use black metal dust instead of sand and the government authorities are turning a blind eye to this illegality,” he said.
He also appealed to contractors not to take contracts by using unfair means which is basically paying commission and pointed out that there are Goan contractors who have done excellent work even though they did not pay any commission to bag the contract.
Coutinho argued that stringent action against contractors who are using sub-standard material and not using the correct mixture of concrete will automatically result in putting an end to the practice of bagging contract by paying commission.
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