The Bijuli Karmachari Sangha of Odisha State Electricity Board (OSEB) gas demanded to debar the Tata Projects Limited from participating in the tender process of the State-run Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL).
It alleged that undue sympathy of some officers shown to the company would derail the schemes of OPTCL to provide quality and uninterrupted power supply to the consumers. The Sangha alleged that some OPTCL senior officials are unnecessarily benefiting the company misusing their power which would result in losses to consumers and the Government as well. The association demanded action against the concerned officers.
Without performance eligibility of 30 points some Directors of OPTCL have favoured the Tata Projects to participate in new tender process. The company was earlier debarred from tender process for six months, the Sangha said.
The directors under scanner are circumventing the rules ways on technical grounds to favour the company. The Sangha has raised question on the suspicious activities of some senior officials and Directors and sought intervention of Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, 5T Secretary VK Pandian and the department’s concerned authorities in the matter.
The company is compromising in quality of work and not completing the projects in time, the Sangha alleged, adding that its tender process is also under scanner for flouting prescribed guidelines to show favouritism to the company.
The Balimunda Grid substation, Kiakata Grid substation and Duspalla Grid substation work tenders have been awarded to Tata Projects Limited.
However, only 20 percent work has been completed so far due to delay in construction work and company’s apathetic attitude, the Sangha alleged. The company authorities are neither obeying department’s directives nor working in cooperation with the OPTCL, the Sangha said.The union has alleged massive corruption in the tender for a 400/220 KV gas insulated grid substation and line construction contract work in Ersama-Paradip. Some OPTCL officials have committed fraud to include Tata Projects in the tender.
Tata Power, which was debarred to participate in the tendering process in January 2020, was awarded an eligibility certificate a few days ago. By throwing all the rules out of the window, some corrupt officers of OPTCL have again hampered the interests of the State, the sangha said
Notably, all the major industrial projects to be set up in the Paradip Industrial Zone by 2023 would be connected to the grid substation project.