The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Madurai News : “Form the three mandatory authorities”

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Friday, Jun 26, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

“Form the three mandatory authorities”

Staff Reporter

MADURAI: The Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board Workers’ Federation has alleged that the board has not implemented the Tamil Nadu Transparency in Tenders Act 1998 and Rules 2000 which came into effect from October 2000.

In a statement, its State vice-president, K. K. N. Rajan, claimed that under the Rules 2000, it was mandatory for the TWAD Board, which was also involved in construction work, to form three authorities – Tender Inviting Authority, Tender Evaluation Authority or Tender Scrutiny Committee and Tender Accepting Authority, that had clearly demarcated nature of work. Mr. Rajan said the Act was aimed at providing transparency in public procurement and regulate the procedure in inviting and accepting tenders.

The rules were framed for promoting healthy competition among tender applicants, providing fair and equitable treatment for all applicants and eliminate irregularities, interference and corrupt practices in matters relating to tender processes.

The TWAD Board was involved in works like water schemes in rural and urban areas, implementing combined water supply schemes and sewerage schemes and maintaining them. The above tasks were being carried out by inviting tenders, he said.

Stating that the Board had been implementing new works and maintaining water and sewerage schemes to the tune of several crore of rupees every year, he wondered why it had not implemented the provisions of the Rules 2000 for the past nine years. The federation urged the Government to direct the board to form three mandatory authorities at divisional, circle, and regional levels to bring in transparency in its tender process.

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