Margao: As it was not getting the required labourers to carry out pre-monsoon maintenance works, the Margao Municipal Council is now inviting short tenders asking parties to execute the work and receive payments for it. The tenders will be invited very shortly.
It may be recalled the MMC had first invited tenders from contractors to provide it with 80 labourers to work for three months but there was no response to them. As a result MMC about a fortnight back invited 80 labourers for walk in interview. However, of the 80 invited only three came for the interview and all three could not be employed as labourers as they were looking for jobs as either clerks or supervisors.
MMC has to carry out the pre-monsoon cleaning work failing which different parts of Margao could get flooded. Pre-monsoon work is primarily two jobs. One involves the cleaning of the big nullahs that empty into the River Sal like the nullah at Khareband, Old Market, near wholesale fish market, etc., which is normally done through the Water Resources Department.
The other is opening the various drains and gutters, cleaning the mud, transporting the mud away and closing them again. This is the work for which MMC requires labourers as it cannot be done completely by the 60 daily wage workers it has. Apparently the wages of Rs. 323 per day offered by the MMC is found to be too low by the labourers who otherwise get paid Rs. 500 per day by private individuals. Sources in MMC revealed that the government has give assurances the wages will be increased. However, as the council cannot wait till the government’s decides on the matter as the work has to be done urgently, it is going in for the short tender.
