IEP Chandigarh
To ensure rapid development of rural areas and to achieve the goal of strengthening Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs), the Haryana government has issued new instructions regarding the process of development works in rural areas. The Government official spokesperson said that as per the new instructions, the PRIs will have the power to give administrative approval to the estimates of all the development works to be carried out of the funds available with them and the grant-in-aid given by the government. With issuance of the new instructions, the state government has cancelled all the instructions issued earlier. The Panchayati Raj Institutions include Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishad, he added.
The spokesperson further said that in future, Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad will ensure to get the development work done from their respective funds as per these instructions. For this, firstly a proposal will be passed by the concerned Panchayati Raj Institution according to the availability of the budget. Subsequently, the passed proposal will be sent by the Panchayati Raj Institution to the concerned technical officer to prepare estimates.
The resolution passed at the Gram Panchayat level will be forwarded by the Gram Sachiv to the concerned Junior Engineer (JE). At the Panchayat Samiti level, the proposal prepared by the BDPO will be sent to the Sub Divisional Officer (Panchayati Raj). At the Zila Parishad level, the resolution passed by the Zila Parishad will be forwarded by the Chief Executive Officer (Zila Parishad) to the Executive Engineer (XEN).
The spokesperson said that the technical approval of the estimates of development works up to Rs 2 lakh will be given by the concerned JE at its own level. In case of development work of more than this amount, proposals will be sent to the competent authorities for approval. Technical approval of estimates up to Rs 25 lakh will be given by SDO, up to Rs 1 crore by XEN, up to Rs 2.5 crore by SE, and technical approval of estimates above Rs 2.5 crore by Chief Engineer (Panchayati Raj). After receiving the technically approved estimates, administrative approval will be given by the concerned Panchayati Raj Institution.
The spokesperson further said that all the Panchayati Raj Institutions will be able to get the works costing up to Rs. 2 lakh done at their own level without any tender (on the basis of quotation). All development works costing more than Rs 2 lakh will be done through e-tendering. For this, the competent authority i.e., SDO or XEN will issue the tender.
The spokesperson said that after the approval of detailed notice inviting tender (DNIT), the notice period for issuing e-tender for development work up to Rs 25 lakh will be 7 working days. The notice period for work ranging from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 1 crore will be 15 days and 21 days for works of more than Rs 1 crore. For issuing e-tender for development work up to Rs 25 lakh, a sub-divisional officer (Panchayati Raj) will be the technical officer and for more than Rs 25 lakh; Executive Engineer (Panchayati Raj) will be the technical officer.
He said that for the technical bid of works up to Rs 25 lakh, the concerned contractor will have to upload the related documents on the Haryana Engineering Works Portal. For approval of the technical bid for Rs 25 lakh to Rs 1 crore, a committee will be headed by the XEN, which will have an SDE and section officer/account officer/accountant/accounts assistant, any of them; as the members.
For the approval of the technical bids of more than Rs 1 crore, the superintending engineer (SE) will be the convenor, XEN as the member secretary, another XEN and section officer/account officer/accountant/accounts assistant, any of them; as the members.
The financial bids will only be opened for the technically approved tenders, for which committees have been made at various levels. The spokesperson said that as per the new instructions, the time limit has been fixed from passing the proposal to preparing its estimates, administrative approval by the concerned Panchayati Raj Institutions, issuing tenders, technical evaluation, opening of financial bids and issuing work orders.
