Dimapur, November 12 (MExN): The Nagaland Pradesh Youth Congress (NPYC) has expressed surprise to come across the Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) issued by Chief Engineer PWD(R&B) alleging that the “Department does not have the intention and willingness to promote the young contractors but to favor only a handful of contractors.”
NPYC President, Vilhousilie Kenguruse and General Secretary, Limayangba in a press release quoted clause no 16 of the NIT dated October 23, “The acceptance of the lowest rate is not obligatory and quoting of non-workable rate will be summarily rejected.”
“Such practice by government departments will only promote favoritism and nepotism,” NPYC held, while adding that if any bidder was willing to quote below the Schedule of Rate, the department “should be willing to grant contractor to the firm, because a contractor only after proper assessment will be putting up his bid.”
It further brought to notice the initiatives of Kohima District Congress Committee (KDCC) in checking such corrupt practice by taking up the issue of NI for ‘Strengthening of 57 Government Schools in various districts of Nagaland’ issued by Nagaland Education Mission Society, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan in 2016 and the “recent e-Procurement Notice Invitation for Bids (IFB) issued by Urban Development Department Bid No. EE/UDD/AMRUT/TENDR/2016-17(Pt) dated 18th October, 2019. (Copies of both the statements attached as Annexure ‘A’ & ‘B’).”
In both the cases, the release held that KDCC has raised serious concern and asked the Department concerned to rectify the tender clause.
Despite repeated initiatives to do away with such corrupt practices, it regretted to observe departments, including Nagaland PWD continuing to include such clauses in the NIT hampering the prospect of upcoming contractors to look beyond the white collared jobs but encourage more corruption, it added.
NPYC thus sought “immediate intervention in bringing an end to usage of such clauses in any tender invitations so that even other contractors gets equal and fair opportunity to compete.”
It further demanded that the NIT No.CE/R&B/PMGSY-II/TENDER/2019-2020 dated 23/10/2019 which is scheduled to be opened on November 13 should be stopped “immediately until such time the clause 16 is removed.”
Furthermore, referring to Clause 12 of the same NIT which states, “Contractors/Firms with incomplete Phase-VIII PMGSY projects are not eligible to bid,” NPYC held that any contractor should complete the works as per the date of completion given in the work order and “proper action should be initiated, to the extent of blacklisting the firm, and not merely disallowing to bid.”
