Action has been initiated against the medical firm which declined to provide antibody based Rapid Kit during the Covid-19 pandemic, Health and Family Welfare Minister T.S. Singh Deo informed the Assembly on Tuesday.
Leader of Opposition Dharamlal Kaushik had through a starred question sought details of procurement of Rapid Kit for Covid-19 testing by the Health Department, tender details, security deposit clause, reason for cancellation of tender and action taken against the firm.
Singh Deo said the first tender was called on April 7 and second on April 14, 2020. The committee as per the Store Purchase Rule Section 10 had not kept the security deposit condition in the tender.
He said the order for purchase was given to National Medicos at the Lowest-1 rate of Rs 131.04 per test. A total of 75,000 test kit orders were to be supplied within 15 days. But the firm replied that it would be unable to supply such a large amount within a short period.
After the recommendation of the High-Level Purchase Committee recommend that as there were errors in rates for Rapid Test and companies declining to supply the required number, the tenders were cancelled.
The second firm was given a purchase order at a rate of Rs 377.44 per unit. The order was given to recover the difference amount from the first firm. Thus, the procurement has been done based on the first firm rate.
Under the Epidemic Diseases Act, an application has been filed against the National Medicos with Civil Lines police station.