(a)Classification. - Departmental building projects (including repairs) are divided into the following categories:-(i)Works - Original.(ii)Works - Repairs.(iii)Petty construction.(iv)Petty repairs.(b)Definitions. - (i) Construction. - A work which either alters the shape of a building or entirely renews it shall be classed as "construction". This term includes (1) all new constructions, whether of entirely new works or of additions and alterations to or remodelling existing buildings and (2) additions, alterations, replacements, remodelling or all repairs to newly purchased or previously abandoned buildings in order to make them fit for use.Projects costing more than Rs. 2,500 but not exceeding Rs. 15,000 are 'Works - Original" and those costing not more than Rs. 2,500 are "Petty construction".(ii)Repairs. - The term "repairs" indicates primarily operations undertaken to maintain in proper condition, buildings in ordinary use, i.e., those works which restore a building to its original form but do not alter it. It also includes all repairs which may be necessary to existing buildings on account of storms or other natural causes.All repairs involving expenditure exceeding Rs. 2,500 but not exceeding Rs. 15,000 fail under the head "Works-Repairs" while the cost of all petty repairs', including ordinary annual repairs (see regulation 1260) not exceeding Rs. 2,500 shall be debited to the head "Contract contingencies".(c)Authority competent to sanction projects. - (i) The Inspector-General is empowered to sanction all projects up to the limit of Rs. 10,000 on any individual work, inclusive of the cost of land.The construction of investigating centres (police-stations, outposts and attached buildings) may be undertaken departmentally provided that the cost of each such project (inclusive of the cost of land) does not exceed Rs. 15,000. The administrative approval of the Provincial Government in the Home (Police) Department will be necessary in the case of such projects costing more than Rs. 10,000.(ii)Deputy Inspectors-General are empowered to sanction all projects up to the limit of Rs. 5,000 on any individual work. Works projects, the cost of which exceeds this limit, shall be submitted to the Inspector-General.(iii)Superintendents are authorised to undertake all petty repairs (including ordinary annual repairs) within the limit of the budget allotment (see regulation 1260).(d)Financial and accounting procedure. - The financial and accounting procedure relating to the execution of departmental works up to the limit of Rs. 5,000 is laid down in rule 156 of the Bengal Financial Rules and Appendix X(A) of the Bengal Audit Manual. The procedure relating to works exceeding this limit is laid down in Appendix X(B) of that Manual.Note. - (i) No officer shall spend money sanctioned for one purpose on another or spend money sanctioned, under one head, on work falling under another.(ii)Wherever fractions of a rupee occur in,the totals of contractors bills, or in the case of work or supplies chargeable to more than one estimate, in the totals chargeable to each estimate, fractions less than half may be disregarded and half a rupee and over taken as a rupee.(e)Procedure for the submission of applications. - When it is considered necessary to construct a building departmentally, the Superintendent shall submit an application to the Deputy Inspector-General of the Range giving full particulars as required by regulation 1249. This shall be accompanied by a plan of the proposed building, a site plan showing the land and the buildings on it, both existing and proposed, with dimensions drawn to scale, and an estimate of the amounts required. Standard plans shall be followed or reasons given for divergence therefrom and in all plans for new buildings, the flooring shall be raised 3 feet above the ground-level.The estimate should be very carefully scrutinised in order to see that the departmental limit will not be exceeded. It must include the cost of land which is debitable to the same head of the budget grant as the cost of the buildings to be constructed thereon. If there is any possibility of the limit being exceeded, the work should not be taken up departmentally. The payment of an amount in excess of the departmental limit on a single work by treating the different items (e.g., brick-work, painting, plastering, etc.) or different parts of the same project as separate works is irregular.(f)Selection of sites. - Whenever it is proposed to construct departmentally any building estimated to cost over Rs. 2.500 on departmental land, the site shall be selected by a Site Selection Committee composed of members as in Regulation 1255. The Executive Engineer will, however, be a member of the Site Selection Committee in his advisory capacity only, if and when invited by the President to offer professional advice. The Committee will be assembled by the District Officer at the request of the Superintendent of Police who will prepare the necessary site plan and forward it with the proceedings of the Committee, after both have been countersigned by the members, to the Range Deputy Inspector-General, for approval.The cost of preparing the site plan, if any, shall be met from the grant under the head 'Works - Original works" with the approval of the Deputy Inspector-General.Proposals for the construction departmentally of buildings on any land in charge of the Communications and Works Department shall be submitted by Superintendents to the Deputy Inspector-General of the Range, in consultation with the Executive Engineer, together with the specifications, and a block plan prepared by the Superintendents in quadruplicate showing the existing building at the site, and also the position of the proposed buildings. In the case of large sites, the existing buildings within a radius of 250 feet from the proposed departmental buildings only need be shown on the block plan. The onus of requesting District Officers to convene meetings of Site Selection Committees which should also be composed of members as in Regulation 1255 will rest with the Executive Engineer concerned.The plan should be countersigned by the Superintendent as well as by the Executive Engineer. The Deputy Inspector-General shall submit the proposal to the Inspector-General after taking the advice of the Superintending Engineer, who will also countersign the plan in token of approval. The Inspector-General will then obtain the sanction of Government in the Works and Buildings Department.(g)Responsibility of the Circle-Inspector. - The Circle Inspector shall supervise all building operations in his jurisdiction. He must see that the construction work is satisfactory, that Government money is spent to the best advantage and that unnecessary delay is not allowed. This responsibility must be fully enforced by Superintendents.
