Taking exception to the notification issued by Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company (GESCOM) allowing manufacturers of electricity poles from outside Kalyana Karnataka region to participate in its tender process, Sedam MLA Rajkumar Patil Telkur has demanded that the government take steps to withdraw the notification and allow only manufacturers from the region to participate in the bid.
In a letter to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, Mr. Telkur has said that unlike GESCOM, which was entrusted with the responsibility of supplying electricity in Kalyana Karnataka region, other State-owned electricity companies — Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited, Hubli Electricity Supply Company Limited, Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited and Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited — have been following the rule that only those manufacturers having their production units in their respective regions were eligible to participate in the tender process for supplying electricity poles.
He demanded that the government take steps to ensure that GESCOM issued a fresh notification allowing only local manufacturers to participate in the bid.
“Kalyana Karnataka region is already backward and small and medium industries are facing so many problems. The government should extend a helping hand to promote these industrial units and encourage them with special incentives. With GESCOM opening its doors to all suppliers, it has created a situation where small manufacturers from the region are not able to compete with the bigger ones from outside the region,” Mr. Telkur told The Hindu .
“At the same time, all other State-owned electricity supply companies have closed their doors for companies from the region. There should be uniformity in bidding norms. The government should ensure that bidding is open either for all in all the State-owned electricity companies or only for local manufacturers,” he said.
