The Federation of All Tribal Youth Club Manipur (FATYCM) on Friday submitted a representation to the Governor of Manipur, urging urgent intervention to end the practice of awarding government works through minus-rate tenders in the hill districts.
In its memorandum, FATYCM said that minus-rate tendering—where contracts are allotted at rates lower than the estimated cost—has severely hampered development in remote hill areas. The Federation noted that contractors quoting minus rates often fail to meet the real costs of materials, transportation, and labour, given the difficult terrain and poor connectivity.
According to FATYCM, this practice has led to many projects being executed with sub-standard quality, left incomplete, or abandoned midway. It argued that such outcomes not only waste public resources but also undermine the objectives of government schemes meant to uplift rural and marginalised communities.
The organisation further expressed concern that minus-rate tendering has widened the developmental gap between the hill and valley districts. It pointed out that the cost of executing works in the hills is inherently higher, and adopting such unfair practices erodes the principle of equitable growth.
FATYCM has therefore requested the Governor to direct all government departments to refrain from awarding works at minus rates in the hill districts, and instead adopt realistic tendering processes that consider the region’s socio-economic and geographical challenges. It also urged for special guidelines to ensure that developmental projects in the hills are not compromised.
Reaffirming its faith in the Governor’s commitment to balanced development, FATYCM expressed hope that immediate measures will be taken to protect the interests of hill communities and to ensure justice and equity in the state’s development process.