PANJIM: After clearance from the Union Ministry, the State Cabinet too approved the import of bitumen for construction of roads.
Sources said the matter came up for discussion as a table item submitted by PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar.
“There is a large quantity requirement of bitumen in the State for construction of roads and over the years the main source for bitumen was either Mumbai or MRPCL, Mangalore,” the Cabinet note read. The note said that the government earlier used to purchase bitumen through the stores of division of PWD and this bitumen was then stipulated in the NIT with basic cost.
“The contractor would then be provided this bitumen and transportation cost was borne by him. This indenting was done at PWD level. With the advent of bulk bitumen the process adopted for packed bitumen was to review as it was cheaper in bulk quantity rather than packed drums,” the note read.
“It was also easy to transport the bulk bitumen tankers directly from refinery outlet to the place of hot mix plants. In the view the supply through PWD was done away and NIT conditions allowed the contractor to procure bitumen on their own preferably from Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum and MRPCL,” it added.
The note further says that the system functioned efficiently for the last so many years but lately it has been experienced that these new bitumen suppliers have their own problems and stopped supply.
“This has resulted in shortage and consequently all works wherein bitumen was involved have been badly affected. There are instances where works awarded in last four financial years could not be taken up as a result development has suffered,” the note reads.
The PWD Minister says that a possibility to tide over this crisis is to use imported bitumen which is now readily available.
“The specification of the product is in conformity with IRC and testing for acceptance can be very well carried out. There is added advantage of saving on GST can be avoided in the inter-State transportation and adulteration of bitumen will also be avoided,” Pauskar said adding “this also will save transportation cost and indirectly waste of fuel”.
