Contract work awarded with twisted process?
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 16 2015 : Certain quarters have raised strong suspicion that the contract of repairing Singjamei-Manipur University section of Imphal-Moreh highway has been allotted to one Md Nashir by allegedly manipulating and twisting the e-tender process.

With regard to two contract works for repairing two sections of Imphal-Moreh highway under periodic renewal programme, a com- plaint has been already lodged with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) alleging anomalies in tender process.

Generally, e-tender is accepted as the most transparent process of conducting tender for selection of work agencies and the same process is followed across the country.

Further investigation by The Sangai Express in connection with the controversial tender process and the subsequent complaint submitted to the MoRTH and the concerned Union Minister, many hints which suggest large scale anomalies have been detected.

A view of PWD office

The sanctioned amount for repairing Singjamei to MU main gate section of the highway is less than Rs five crore and as such the e-tender process was conducted by the State PWD.

As a part of the e-tender process, technical evaluation of four bidders was done by a technical evaluation committee comprising of the PWD Chief Engineer as chairman, Additional Chief Engineer or Superintending Surveyor of Works, concerned Superintending Engineer, Financial Advisor or Assistant Financial Advisor as members.

After technical evaluation, two out of four bidders were rejected.

Even if the two bidders were rejected for erroneous or incomplete documents, they were not given any opportunity to rectify their errors or re-submit all the requisite documents.

While the two bidders were summarily rejected, financial bids of the two qualified bidders were opened.

As per the rules, after opening financial bids, due approval should be obtained from the higher tender committee headed by the Finance Commissioner as chairman.

Additional Chief Secretary (Works), PWD Chief Engineer and Additional Secretary (Finance) are members of the higher tender committee.

Even if the two bidders have been rejected, files of all the four bidders should be submitted to the higher tender committee and the committee should examine all the bids irrespective of whether any one of them has been rejected by the technical evaluation committee or not.

After ensuring that there were no lapses or anomalies, the committee should give its approval and the contract work(s) should be allotted to the lowest bidder(s) .

In total contradiction to this general procedure, the contract work for repairing Sing- jamei-Canchipur section of Imphal-Moreh highway was awarded to Md Nashir by skipping the higher tender committee.

Strangely, it was not the PWD Chief Engineer who issued acceptance letter when the contract work was awar-ded to the work agency Md Nashir.

It is not yet clear who issued the acceptance letter.

In case the acceptance letter was issued by the relevant Additional Chief Engineer, it is against the statute for an Additional Chief Engineer to issue acceptance letter for any contract work whose sanctioned amount is greater than Rs four crore.

Although it has been learnt that there were many lapses and anomalies in the tender process, it is not yet clear whether the twisted e-tender process would be annulled to hold fresh tender or the selected work agency (Md Nashir) would be allowed to proceed and execute the contract work.