Kohima Congress cries foul over tendering process

Dimapur, Oct. 29 (EMN): Alleging unfair play, the Kohima District Congress Committee (KDCC) has asked the governor and the chief minister to cancel an e-Procurement notice (Invitation for Bids) issued by the department of Urban Development on October 18. A statement from the committee on Tuesday pointed out that the department had asked the bidders to quote their bids “as per/above NPWD Schedule of Rate (SOR) 2016” and that those quoted below the NPWD rate will not be accepted. “The KDCC is of the view that in any open tender there should not be any fixed amount for bidding but it is up to the bidder to quote the rates, which may be above, at par or even less than the NPWD SOR 2016. “In fact, all such funds meant for creation of infrastructure are public fund, and the department should be happy if the lowest bidder is given the contract because it will benefit the department and save funds,” read the statement. The committee expressed apprehension that “the department must have already granted the contract works favouring particular contractor before even publishing the IFB in the newspapers”. As such, it sought the intervention of the governor and the chief minister “to check such manipulative precedence being set by Urban Development department”. It also expressed surprise that the department had declared that though bids can be submitted online, the tender fee has to be submitted in cash (non-refundable) in the office of the executive engineer of Urban Development, Kohima. “KDCC questions the department’s intention as to what is the requirement for submitting tender fee in cash when the entire tender process is done online.  The KDCC also appeals the Nagaland Government Registered Class-I Contractors Union and Nagaland Contractors and Suppliers Union to take up issue in the interest and welfare of local contractors,” it stated.