The Odisha Printers’ and Binders’ Mahasangh has alleged that the Directorate of State Text Book Production and Marketing authorities opened financial bids of the text book printing and binding tender violating the interim order of the High Court, which had debarred the directorate not to open the bids till July 11.
The Mahasangh too alleged that the directorate floated a National level tender for printing and binding of books for Classes I up to VIII instead of a Stale level bidding.
“Since the Directorate of State Text Book Production and Marketing decided to float printing and binding tender at National level for the current year, our Mahasangh filed a petition in the High Court seeking quashing of the decision.Following it, the court had directed the directorate not to open the financial bids till July 11 and allowed it to only open technical bids. But on July 5, during the tender call, the directorate authorities in the presence of the Director and other senior officials opened the financial bids violating the interim order of the High Court,” alleged Mahasangh organisational secretary Nirmal Kumar Jena.
Due to the National level tender floating, nearly 50,000 people engaged in the printing and binding businesses in the State would lose their income sources, he said.
“We have lodged an FIR at the Kharavel Nagar police station (Bhubaneswar) about the illegality and will also move the High Court on this development,” added Jena.