Early Times Newspaper Jammu
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Excise Deptt officials clueless, allege potential bidders
'Pre-bid meeting didn't serve any purpose, in Poonch areas chosen for wine shops surrounded by religious places, degree college'
Early Times Report
jammu, Apr 10: Picking up holes in the New Excise Policy, especially in the e-tendering process being initiated by the Excise Department the potential bidders on Saturday alleged that the department has not done the homework.
After a holding a pre-bid meeting with the officials at Excise and Taxation Training Institute Nagrota, the aspiring bidders said, "It seems that the department has started the process without any homework."
"Officials of the Excise Department seem unaware about the new policy. They were unable to give any appropriate answer", said one of the participants, who had come from Poonch to clear his doubts regarding the e-tendering process.
"It is fine if you have your own shop/land, but if someone needs a lease deed/rent deed? They don't know whether the rent deed/lease deed attested by Notary is valid or not. We have very less time left for these formalities. The government should give us sufficient time to furnish the documents," they said, adding that they are not satisfied with provisions of the New Excise Policy.
The aspirant said, "In Poonch they have said that bidding is open for two wine shops in ward no. 10 and 11 but in both these wards there are wine shops but the people running it own these shops. In this area there is not a single shop that can be taken on rent."
He said, "Singh Sabha biggest Gurdwara in Poonch falls in Ward No.10 and in Ward No.11 there is Dashnami Akhada temple from where Buddha Amarnath Yatra commences. I asked the officials that if I am able to get these wine shops in both these wards but if I have any problem while getting a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to open these shops, neither will I be able to open the shops nor will I get the refund of the money that I would have paid for bidding. I told them that there where wine shops in Surankote and Mendhar both these shops were closed due to one or other reason and till date these have not been reopened."
He said, "The NOC has to be given by the District Magistrate but the DM has to ask the religious organizations, government and educational institutions before giving the NOC. The Ward No. 11-where they are asking us to open the wine shop-houses the only degree college of Poonch. How can a wine shop be opened in an area where there is a temple and a degree college."
The aspirant said, "It seems that they have not checked the feasibility of opening the wine shops. Officials of the department could have asked the local officers in which areas the wine shops could be allotted. Whosever clears the bidding process, I can tell you with authority that it won't be easy for him to open wine shops in Ward No. 10 and 11. First he won't get the NOC. Even if he gets the NOC he may face stiff resistance from the locals. This was my query. But they told me clearly that no money will be refunded once the aspirant clears the bidding process."
The aspirant said, "Officials said that the bidding will continue for 72-hours. And the bid will be opened for 15 minutes again. We asked them once the bidding is closed why it will be opened for 15 minutes again. They had no satisfactory answer. No one of the officials could give a proper answer."
"The pre-bid meeting didn't serve any purpose as the officials of the Excise Department seemed clueless. If officials won't answer our queries, who will clear our doubts?" they asked.