Deputy CM Arun Sao releases new SOR for road, bridge

 

 

 

Deputy Chief Minister and Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Arun Sao today released the new Schedule of Rates (SOR) for road and bridge works at New Circuit House in the state capital. Talking to media persons at New Circuit House in the state capital, Deputy Chief Minister Sao said that the new SOR was prepared by the PWD after evaluation of items on the basis of market rates. The new SOR will be effective from January 1, 2025. The current SOR, which was made in 2014, has been effected since 1 January, 2015. New machinery and new techniques of construction have also been included in the new SOR. This will reduce the financial risk of contractors along with quality work. The new SOR will come into effect in the state from January 1, 2025. For effective maintenance of roads in the state, Performance Based Maintenance Contract (PBMC) and Output and Performance Based Maintenance Contract (OPRMC) will be implemented. For this, a pilot project will soon be started by the PWD, said Sao. Arun Sao said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, there is special emphasis on ensuring the quality of construction works and completing them within the time limit.

 

There will be further ease after the implementation of the new SOR. The current SOR is applicable from January 1, 2015. At that time, it included the labour rate, material rate and machinery rate prevailing in 2014, which have changed a lot after ten years. Deputy Chief Minister Sao said that the current SOR was prepared by including all the taxes prevalent at that time. In the new SOR, GST implemented in the country from July 1, 201, has been included. The contractor will submit his tender rate including GST so that the contractor will not have to pay GST separately. GST will be included in the cost of the work. Contractors get extra financial burden due to without inclusion of GST and changes in the rates. Now, the contractors will not face any risk in doing the work after including the effect of prevailing GST. The rates will be added to the estimate.

 

By doing this, the contractors will not face financial risk. Sao said that in the last 10 years, many new technologies, new materials and IRC have been developed. Changes have been made in the procedure of various works. Provision for use of these new technologies and materials has been also made in the new SOR. These include soil stabilization with cement and chemicals, pavement white topping, use of aluminum composite material sheeting in road signage, precast R.C.C drain, precast box culvert, RCC in foundation work utilization of high grade M-40, M-45, M-50, sub-structure work, pre-stressing, bamboo crash barrier and noise barrier. With the implementation of the new SOR, the estimation of work cost in the DPR/estimate of construction works will be realistic and the amount to be given administrative approval for the works will reduce the need for revised approval while carrying out the work. Quality and timely completion of work will yield meaningful results. In the present method for the maintenance of roads, the maintenance work has been done by making predictions and inviting tenders and selecting contractors according to the possibility of the road getting damaged during the rainy season.

 

Many times such a situation occurs that the road remains in bad condition, but due to non-availability of agency for maintenance, there is delay in filling potholes and maintaining the roads. Many times, even after appointing an agency, the roads remain potholed and damaged due to the contractor not carrying out the maintenance work on time, he added. Secretary of PWD Dr Kamalpreet Singh and Engineer-in-Chief of PWD Kamlesh Pipri were also present in the press conference.