Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) bags caught in the eye of the storm
Supply Order Worth ' 70 Lakhs Given Without Public Advertisement
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, September 24 2012: Breaching all the existing government rules and regulations, the supply order of school bags under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) worth Rs 70 lakhs have been sanctioned to an outside private firm without issuing any public advertisements/tenders.The matter has become so serious that it has reached the ears of State Vigilance Commission.

According to reliable sources, the incident of issuing supply order of school hand bags under SSA amounting to Rs 70 lakhs took place in the year 2010.The private firm in whose favour the supply order was issued is one M/s Sujata Sarkar, Siliguri, West Bengal, sources disclosed.

Sources further disclosed that in addition to issuing the supply order to the said firm on the sly without floating any tenders through Public Advertisement, the purchase had also never been figured in the Work Programme approved by the Government of India.

Further the said purchase was never approved by the General Body of SSA, State Mission Authority (SMA), Manipur headed by the Chief Minister or the Executive Committee SSA, SMA headed by the Chief Secretary, Government of Manipur.

The supply order was issued in favour of M/s Sujata Sarkar just to suit a few select firms patronized by some officers of SSA, Manipur, sources added.

Sources pointed out that a meeting of the Tender Committee chaired by the then Commissioner of Finance, Government of Manipur was held on December 7, 2010 at the conference hall of RMSA building to examine the technical and financial proposal submitted by the bidders for supply of school bags under SSA.

VK Dewangan, the then Commissioner of Finance, Government of Manipur; N Praveen Singh, Deputy Secretary of Education (S), Government of Manipur and Sumant Singh, SPD, SSA, SMA Manipur were among others who attended the meeting as Tender Committee members.

Subsequently, the Purchase Committee of SSA, Manipur comprising Sumant Singh, SPD, SSA, SMA Manipur (Chairman); Praveen Singh FC, SSA, SMA, Manipur (Member) and Ng Roman Singh FC, SSA, SMA, Manipur (Member) Tender Committee Members submitted their report to the Tender Committee.

As three bidders namely M/s Monalisa, paona Bazaar, Imphal, Manipur; M/s Ken bag Industries, Thangmeiband meisnam Leikai, Imphal, Manipr and M/s Sujata Sarkar, Siliguri, West Bengal were qualified for the technical bid, the finance bid was, therefore, opened.

According to the finance bid submitted by the three bidders, it was observed that M/s Sujata, Siliguri, West Bengal with a total amount of Rs 7,34,425 at the rate of Rs 210 per school bag was the lowest bidder.

As directed by the Tender Committee, the authorized SPD/SSA negotiated the rate with the lowest bidder and submitted the negotiated rate at Rs 208 per bag.

A complaint in this regard was made to the Superintendent of Police, State Vigilance Commission, Manipur, Imphal by one Ayekpam Keshorjit Singh of Haobam Marak Irom Leikai.

However, no investigation has been made in the regard by the SP of State Vigilance Commission, Manipur so far, sources added.

Comment