A month after the state government introduced reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in government contracts worth up to Rs 5 lakh, officials are struggling to find ways to implement it.

In most of the major government agencies, like the Public Works Department, UP Housing and Development Board, UP State Bridge Corporation Limited and UP Rajkiya Nirman Nigam, there is not much scope for works up to Rs 5 lakh — their contracts usually run into crores. Now, officials are trying to identify and create works which could qualify for the scheme.

The government has reserved 21 per cent contract for SCs and two per cent for STs. The order, which was issued on June 30, was applicable to all government departments, corporations, authorities, boards and bodies under government control.

While the PWD has asked its chief engineers, superintending engineers and executive engineers to implement the order, there has been little progress on the ground.

“We are in the process of identifying works at the district level under this category,” said Engineer-in-Chief T Ram — the nodal officer for the implementation of the scheme. He said that patch works, labour supply, village roads and painting of roads could be included in the scheme, but proper execution of the scheme would take about two months. “I will get suggestions from all other departments,” Ram added.

S N Ram, Chief Engineer of the UP Housing Development Board, said there was little scope for contract works up to Rs 5 lakh in his organisation. “But we are preparing a list of tenders that were invited for works valued up to Rs 5 lakh in the last three years,” he added.

... contd.