Inordinate delay in inviting tenders for the supply of stainless steel double-edged blades required at the TTD’s Kalyanakatta has led to allegations of kickbacks and nepotism.
Despite the annual requirement of 70 lakh blades no tenders have been finalised during the past fifteen months and the procurement on nomination basis further fuelled the speculations.
Allegations have been made that the stipulations and parameters in the procurement process were intermittently altered with an intention favouring the bidders of their choice. Bidders who failed to qualify even the primary technical evaluation process were also allegedly favoured with the supply orders on nomination basis on a par with those who met all the preconditions.
Changes were also effected enabling authorised dealers eligible to participate in the tender process which was earlier meant for only manufacturers.
The average score per shave under the performance test was drastically brought down to 3.5 from the previous 4.2 under the specifications table in the tender schedule – a copy of which is available with The Hindu .
Even though the tenders were invited four times – the first being on September 18th 2013 they were cancelled on one pretext or other.
What is more shocking is that despite rejection of quality by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) at Hyderabad the samples were again sent to the National Test House (NTH) in Chennai for testing when the tenders were called for the fourth time on April 09th 2014.
In the meantime the rejected tender was bestowed with a supply order on nomination. What are even more baffling are the accusations that a close kin of a top official of the then TTD’s management was instrumental in the entire episode.
Specifications changed?
Talking to The Hindu a senior official of the TTD who wished not to be quoted said that the repeated qualification of a single tenderer nonetheless forced the management to revise the specifications to the Indian Standard Code (ISC). Even though if the explanation is thought to be acceptable what is intriguing is the fact that there is no inclusion of any new bidder in the aftermath of relaxation.
Meanwhile sources sounded optimistic that things are bound to return to normalcy with the institution recently experiencing a change of guard at the helm of its affairs.
