levelling charges of gross negligence and embezzlement in purchase of laboratory instruments for high and higher secondary schools, Congress members on Wednesday targetted School Education Minister Kedar Kashyap in Chhattisgarh Assembly by taking up the issue through call attention motion.
The Opposition members also staged a walkout from the House while expressing dissatisfaction with the Minister’s reply. Raising the issue, Congress Member Brihaspat Singh alleged that overlooking the existing procedure of purchasing laboratory materials on the basis of demand letter of principals and District Education Officers (DEOs), the Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) has issued tender notice for procuring material to the tune of around Rs10 crore on December 25, 2015 which was published in newspapers on December 30, 2015.
Moreover, information pertaining to online submission of tender has been uploaded in the departmental website on January 1, 2016 and January 20, 2016 has been fixed as last date for submission of the tender, said Singh, adding that the move was the clear ignorance of Chhattisgarh Store Purchase Rule which says that minimum 45 days is mandatory for tendering process of materials worth Rs 10 lakh or more. The Congress member further charged that the government has invited tender for obtaining around 261 types of material, of which maximum materials were not required in schools. Citing the excuse of budget lapse, procurement of equipment worth crores of rupees was carried out in urgency by ignoring procurement rule, he said.
The procurement process was carried out by DPI but for rate contract, the department must have technical team which DPI lacks, Singh said while alleging that favoured bidders have been selected for obtaining lab materials. Meanwhile, Congress members led by leader of Opposition T S Singhdeo demanded assurance of investigation in this connection from the Minister.
In his statement, School Education Minister Kedar Kashyap said that it is correct that DPI has floated tender in this connection in the newspapers. The tender notice was issued to newspapers to be published on December 25 but it was published on December 30.
It is correct that minimum 45 days is mandatory, if tender invited for purchasing of material to the tune of around Rs 10 crore or more but the entire process of purchasing laboratory materials was carried out for rate fixation not for direct purchase, informed the Minister, adding that list of 261 materials was prepared by experts posted in schools under School Education Department.
Meanwhile, Kashyap said that procurement process was carried out in a transparent manner and turned down the demand of investigation following which the Opposition members started shouting slogans and staged a walkout while expressing dissatisfaction with reply of the Minister.