projects hang fire due to unclarity: alleges UJVNL

Affirming that lack of clarity in the contracts signed between the government departments and the contractors is leading to many important projects hang fire for a long time, Engineer BCK Mishra, director (operations), Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL), who is also the brand ambassador of Project Management Institute (Northern India Chapter), said on Friday that the contracts must be comprehensive that includes all the aspects involved in the projects.

“What we are finding is that the lack of comprehensiveness of the agreements is leading to recurring   conflicts between the contractors and the departments, resulting in the works being held up,” he said, adding a good contract document is one which covers every aspect of the work, including legal and technical points. He was addressing the participants of a presentation/training on FIDIC Contract Management in Dehradun on Friday.

Project Management Institute (Northern India Chapter) and Uttarakhand Productivity Council jointly hosted a presentation/training on FIDIC Contract Management to clear things on what a  good contract stands for.

He said that FIDIC, an international standard organization,  has long been renowned for its standard forms of contract involving employers and contractors on international construction projects.  He exhorted all concerned to follow the norms laid down by FIDIC.

On the occasion, Mishra gave a detailed presentation of what a good contract document to be signed by an organisation and a contractor or an agency engaged for carrying out the works should be. He also dwelt on different types of contracts and agreements in vogue and also on the important points to be considered while firming up the agreement.

“As in FIDIC Contract every aspect, including legal, finance, time frame and the like are clearly mentioned it is accepted and adopted globally by the key players.

Referring to UJVNL, Mishra said that as most of its projects are more or less associated with Asian Development Bank or World Bank the department has been implementing FIDIC Contract norms.  He further said that the workshop would definitely help the departments in adopting a good and foolproof contract and agreement documents to avert midway hiccups, leading to the delay of the execution of the projects.