Bhubaneswar, February 21: Discussions between the Odisha Contractors Federation and the state government have failed over the contentious issue of tender rules. Despite several rounds of talks, no resolution was reached, and the Federation has vowed to continue its protest.

For weeks, the Federation has taken to the streets in protest against the government's inability to address their concerns regarding tender rules. This marks the eighth time the contractors have raised their demands, which have remained unmet. The contractors, who have been waiting for a satisfactory resolution, were invited to a meeting with a government-appointed committee.

On Saturday, government representatives, including Ashish Singh, Secretary of the Works Department, Satyabrata Behera, EIC, and other officials, met with key figures of the contractors’ associations. These included Ashish Kumar Som, President of the Odisha Electrical Contractors Association, Bhagaban Biswal, General Secretary, Anil Kumar Mahalik, Spokesperson of the Mahasangh, Jagadish Patra, President of the Odisha Contractors Welfare Association, and Dilip Kumar Jena, General Secretary of the Odisha Contractors Association, along with other stakeholders. However, the discussions ended without any significant progress.

As a result, the Federation has declared that its protests in Bhubaneswar will continue indefinitely until its demands are addressed. The contractors have also warned that the government will be held responsible for any disruptions to public life and travel caused by their ongoing demonstrations.

Key demands raised by the contractors include:

1. Immediate cancellation of the departmental circular dated January 3, 2026, and a reduction in service feeder charges from 5% to 0% or lower.
2. Annual standardization of the Schedule of Rates (S.O.R) in compliance with Codal rules.
3. An increase in the maximum tender value from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh.
4. Modification of efficiency standards and the implementation of a "One State, One ID" system for tenders.
5. Exclusion of inactive minerals from the tender process and the listing of only active minerals.
6. Removal of daily penalties for delayed work and the reinstatement of price escalation rules from 2012 to 2019.
7. Addressing delays in the operation of the WAMIS portal under the Rural Development Department and transferring it to the departmental e-procurement cell to streamline the process.

The Federation asserts that the fulfillment of these demands would bring about greater transparency, fairness, and efficiency in the state's tendering process.