Conditions in notice inviting quotation seem to favour particular firm’
Shillong, Oct 2: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Tuesday alleged favouritism in supply of aluminium roofing sheets worth nearly about Rs 70 crore to the Directorate of Housing.
“The Notice Inviting Quotation (NIQ) issued by the Directorate of Housing on September 10, reeks of clear manipulation and systematic efforts to favour some particular firm or entrepreneur or manufacturing unit in Meghalaya for the supply of Aluminium Roofing Sheets to the department worth about Rs 69.65 crore,” the HYC said in a statement.
“The terms and conditions of the NIQ is framed in such a way that it gives an impression that the department concerned is providing an upper hand to someone close to the people at the helms of affairs to bag this particular contract,” said HYC president Roykupar Synrem in the statement.
The general terms and conditions of the NIQ provides that only Entrepreneur (s) representing the Industries or Units having manufacturing Units/Industries in the State can participate in the bidding process, whether such entity(s) have the expertise or not in such a manufacturing or supply works, remain immaterial, he said.
The HYC also alleged that condition for financial stability of the bidder in the technical bid was tweaked in such a way that it would benefit a particular bidder by putting a condition that the required “annual turnover of such a bidder or its local representative is put at an amount of not less that ₹1 crore only”, whereas in the earlier NIQ of 11 February 2022 for a contract worth ₹20 crore, the required annual turnover was pegged at not less than ₹10 crore for participation in the bidding process.
“These conditions in the NIQ create a serious doubt as to the transparency of the whole process of procurement of these sheets and maybe there is a systematic effort to hide behind these premeditated conditions to favour a particular firm or entrepreneur to bag a Contract of a considerable value,” he said.
“We are also apprehensive of the fact that there may not be many reputed manufacturing units in the State who are eligible to take part in the bidding process, thereby leading to the absence of competitions for good prices and quality of materials to be supplied. The results of which will lead to only benefit a particular entrepreneur/firm and at a loss of public exchequer or public money as the department will have to approve the rates of such an entrepreneur/firm,” Synrem stated.
