To ensure quality and sustainable developmental activities in the district, Dagana dzongkhag administration began closely monitoring its public construction works earlier this year. And until June this year, the district monitoring committee penalized and rectified 10 major projects in 11 gewogs.
Recently, the committee penalized a contractor carrying out the classroom construction of Daga Higher Secondary School. The team found that the concrete works lacked curing, meaning, the concrete had inadequate moisture, temperature and time to achieve the desired properties for its intended use.
Dagana Dzongda, Duba, said this would cost the contractor a loss of about 1.6 million Ngultrum while carrying out the rectification works.
“It is unwise on our part to waste public resources by entertaining substandard public developmental works. Often most of the public structures have to be repaired after a few years of its construction. It is a huge loss to the government. If developmental works do not require frequent maintenance, we can use that budget for other upcoming projects,” he added.
Similarly, earlier this year, the dzongkhag had penalized another construction company for compromising quality of a six-unit classroom in Tsangkha Middle Secondary School in the district. The contractor was asked to dismantle and rebuild partition walls.
“During our visit to the school, firstly we found out that there was mismatch of ratio between cement and sand. And secondly, the concrete cross beams, which are supposed to complete in a day was also prolonged for two to three days based on their convenience,” the Dzongda added.
And beginning this year, the district formed assessment and verification team to bring reforms with the process of handing and taking over any developmental works. This will allow the team to carry out necessary rectification works before the actual handing taking process.
“Because once the handing taking is over, it would be difficult to rectify the structures by the concerned contractors. So, after completing all the necessary rectification works, the team then submits report to the dzongkhag monitoring committee. Only after that, the dzongkhag monitoring committee initiates the actual handing taking of the developmental works in presence of the beneficiaries,” said the Dzongda.
According to the Royal Audit Report, the construction sector has the highest budget irregularities in the country. And this monitoring practice is expected to remind them of the country’s call for a quality construction sector.
Pema Tshewang, Dagana
Edited by Sonam Pem
