The Technical Approval Panel (TAP) of the Department of Primary and Secondary Education, which met on Friday, decided on new guidelines to procure 15,100 all-in-one desktops.
This followed criticism that the tender specifications were designed to favour one private company and kept competition out.
The Hindu last week reported that several private companies that manufacture all-in-one desktop computers had written to the Department of Primary and Secondary Education requesting them to change the tender specifications which stipulate that the chipset should be of a particular series. They had written to the department and said that they would not be able to participate in the tender as they did not manufacture chipsets of that series.
TAP decided that any manufacturer who has a chipset that is compatible with the processor can participate in the bid.
“The panel has decided new specifications for the tender in order to invite more competitors,” said the source.
With this, the State government is likely to call for a re-tender shortly.
Besides complaints by companies, a not-for-profit organisation, Karnataka Against Corruption, had also writted to Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Governor Vajubhai R. Vala alleging “high-level corruption” in the earlier tender process.
They had also alleged the involvement of two bureaucrats and Primary and Secondary Education Minister N. Mahesh.
However, Mr. Mahesh had clarified that he had not even seen the file related to this case. A private company official who The Hindu spoke to said that they had even submitted a request to the department to suitable corrigendum to the earlier tender so that the bidders get “equal and fair opportunity”.
These computers are being procured for the state government’s ‘IT@Schools’ programme which will be rolled out in government high schools.
The project estimate is ₹50 crore and the computers would be set up in 1,000 government high schools.
