news details |
|
|
| Technical Education department 'showers' undue benefits to blue eyed bidder | | Leaves out other two competitive bidders | | Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Apr 5: During the previous coalition government of National Conference and Congress the Technical Education department was always in the news and obviously for the wrong reasons. Yet another scam during that time has come to fore in this department.
Sources told Early Times that Technical Education department in league with M\S. Tata Solar System Ltd, Bangalore (now Bengaluru) swindled crores of rupees in the supplying, installing and commissioning as well as testing of solar power plants in 19 (Industrial Training Institutes) ITI's of the state.
Then Director Technical Education, S C Sawhney in response to abbreviated tender notice under No DTE\pur\401\12/552 dated 05-09-2012 received four tenders for supply, installation, commissioning, testing (inclusive warranty and free maintenance for five years) of solar power plants in 19 ITI's of Jammu and Kashmir divisions respectively, said sources.
"TATA Solar System Ltd, Bangalore, Vikram Solar Kolkatta, Jain Irrigation, Mumbai and Moserbear, Delhi turned out to be the bidders for this tender notice. Out of four tenders, one bidder namely M\S. Vikram Solar Kolkatta was disqualified because the firm had not executed any kind of work i.e., "off grid system" in the state which was fixed as one of the terms and condition in the abbreviated tender notice by Director Technical Education," said sources.
Sources said that tenders of two bidders namely M\S. Jain Irrigation, Mumbai and M\S. Moserbear, Delhi who were fulfilling all necessary codal formalities as laid down in the terms and conditions too were later rejected by then Commissioner Secretary, Technical Education Bipul Pathak.
"All this was done to favor blue eyed bidder namely M\S. Tata Solar System Ltd Bangalore for their vested interests. Both Jain Irrigation and Moserbear had executed off grid system work in the state satisfactorily while as no such work was done by M\S. Tata Solar System Ltd Bangalore but even then it was considered as successful bidder," said sources.
Sources said that Technical Education department under No Edu/plan-Tech/solar/poly/2011 dated 10-01-2013 issue order in favour of M\S. Tata Solar system Ltd Bangalore worth 32 crores and 18 lakh, for supply, installation, commissioning and testing of solar power plants in 19 ITI's.
"Director Technical Education prior to issuance of supply order requested for cancellation of the tender of the bidder in view of his exorbitant rates and poor competition, but the Commissioner Secretary, Technical Education in league with then concerned minister Rajinder Singh Chib transferred him from the department instead of acting upon the Director's advice for their vested interests," said sources.
Sources said the department in violation to norms laid down in the agreement without carrying out the tests allowed the supplier to supply Solar PV Modules and other major components to the concerned sites for their vested interests. They said before supplying of PV Modules and other major components in the designated institutes, the team of designated officials of DGS&D was supposed to carry out a pre-delivery inspection.
"It was laid down in the terms and conditions that the payment should be done by the concerned superintendents\principals of the ITI's @ 60% within seven days after receipt\delivery of equipment at the site subject to the condition that the material has been inspected by the third party preferably DGS&D. The commissioner secretary while bye passing the concerned head of the institute in violation to norms released the said payment in favor of the supplier itself without carrying out any inspection from any agency for their vested interests," said sources.
Sources said that in the agreement it was laid down that 30 percent payment was supposed to be released in favour of the supplier by the head of institute after successful installation, testing commissioning and after monitoring the working of the system for 15 days by the ITI, but the Commissioner Secretary again in violation to norms while bypassing the concerned head of the institute released the said payment in favour of the supplier itself without checking the capacity and putting the proper load for testing.
"The Commissioner Secretary in March 2014 submitted fake certificate to New and Renewable Energy Ministry that the bidder has satisfactorily executed the installation work in ITIs to get the payment released from the ministry. However, the fact is that installation work is still incomplete in some ITIs that include Jammu, Kishtwar, Srinagar, Kupwara, Doda and Ganderbal.
In gross violation of codal formalities Commissioner Secretary and Minister for Technical Education for his vested interests allowed the supplier to install solar power plants in ITIs like Kangan, Handwara and few others in place of other institutes for which no tender notice was floated by Director, Technical Education nor such sites were identified by the department prior to floating of tenders and issuance of supply order for installation of the solar power plants.
'The concerned ministry had approved Rs two crores per 100 kw for supply, installation, commissioning, testing (inclusive warranty and free maintenance for five years) of solar power plants, but the bidder had quoted Rs 2.45 cores per 100 kw which means that the rates quoted by the bidder for 1400 kw are seven crores exorbitant as compared to rates approved by the ministry," said sources.
The sources said that material supplied by the bidder is obsolete and sub-standard with the result the solar power plants are not functioning properly. The bidder failed to establish at least one office cum service center in the name of the firm through authorized dealer for each division of the state for carrying out the maintenance effectively before issuing him the supply order. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
