After a scam for purchase of computers for the Adarsha Schools by the Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya Sangathan (OAVS) rocked the State, a tender fixing allegation in the contract for purchase of school uniforms worth Rs2 crore has come to the fore.
Sources said the OAVS functioning under the School and Mass Education Department had invite tenders on February 17, 2017 for supply of uniform, socks, badges, belts and identity-cards. Accordingly, five bidders submitted their bids and samples.
later on April 25, 2017, a purchase committee meeting presided over by the OAVS State Project Director was held in which five technically qualified bidders test report was opened. It was evaluated from the test report that all the five bidders’ samples have not conformed with the tender’s technical specifications and observed that all the bidders samples were sub- standard.
Sources said but the Chairman–cum-State Project Director of OAVS ignored the observation in the test report and allowed the samples of all bidders as technically qualified. Further as per the direction of the Project Director, the price bid of five bidders were opened in their presence.
Before declaration of the lowest bid , a representative of the DEP and M, Odisha pointed out as per para 4.2 of Odisha Procurement Preference Policy for Micro and Small Enterprises -2015 that, the State Government and the agencies under its control shall procure minimum 20 per cent of their total annual value of goods and services from local MSEs .
However, the Chairman-cum-SPD violating the principles of MSME Policy as well as the procurement guideline of State Chief Secretary, awarded the contract to a Kolkota-based firm Miracle International for category– I items (dress materials) And Category –II items (socks, belts, I-cards) to Artistic Garments, Bhubaneswar.
The OAVS Project Director’s ignorance of the DEM and P representative’s suggestions and obstinate attitude in choosing a firm from outside the State, despite its samples being found sub-standard has raised many eyebrows and many questions have been raised.
One of the major questions is to bring transparency to the entire process; the Project Director could have gone for e-tendering, which is often parroted by the State Government. Interestingly, the OAVS has floated the tender without the signature of the representative of EP and M and did not give due importance to his views.
Meanwhile, the intellectuals have demanded a high-level probe by an investigating agency to unearth the nexus between the OAVS authorities and the successful bidders and ensure that re-tendering is done for contract so the Adarsh School students get good quality uniforms and other accessories.