As a large number of houses under Indira Awas Yojana and Mo Kudia remain incomplete due to non-availability of construction materials, the State Government has directed the district collectors to facilitate supply of such materials in a transparent manner.
The district administrations are free to arrange for co-ordinated supply of cement, steel, bricks and pre-fabricated components at block points as per the procedures prescribed in the April 4 office memorandum of the Finance department. However, the beneficiaries under the rural housing schemes are at liberty to procure materials from other suppliers. “There will be one tender call notice for each district and the Collector will fix the up L1 (lowest one) rate for each block separately,” sources in the Panchayati Raj department said.
The financial abilities, technical infrastructure, manpower and transportation facilities of the L1 firm will be assessed before awarding the contract, the sources said.
If procurement of construction materials is made from Government PSUs, the district collectors will fix the floor price of each item. In case of old beneficiaries (above 60 years of age), the administration can entrust construction work to reputed agencies.
The district collectors have been asked to look into other entitlements of the beneficiaries such as latrine under Nirmal Bharat Abhijana, electrification under Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyutikaran Yojana, land development under MGNREGS and social security under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana. According to latest progress report, Government has achieved only 7 per cent of the target under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) till the end of July. Construction of 21,289 houses has been completed as against an annual target of 2,93,522 houses.