| Despite 'poor performance', Delhi firm gets another contract | | Solar photovoltaic power plants for police establishments | | Akshay Azad
JAMMU, Nov 21: Bizarre it may sound but true that, a 'poor performer' Delhi based firm has been awarded another contract to the tune of nearly Rs. 10 Crores, in-spite of penalizing the same, for its failure to complete a project to the tune of Rs. 38 Crores, even after the lapse of nearly one and half year.
Sources informed Early Times that a Delhi based firm was awarded a contract with estimated cost of Rs. 38 Crores, for installation of over 500 photovoltaic power plants at training centers, battalion headquarters, Sub Divisional Police Offices (SDPO) police stations and border police posts.
"According to Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) number 11/2012 dated March 25, 2012, the firm was to complete the work of supply, installation, commissioning, testing and free maintenance of solar photovoltaic power plants at various police stations, in period of only six months", sources said, adding that but even after lapse of around one and half year the Delhi based firm has failed to even complete 10-20 percent of work.
"Jammu and Kashmir Police had envisaged the project to setup 523 solar photovoltaic power plants with an aggregate capacity of 1.4 MW at various establishments of the J&K Police spread throughout the state. 90 percent of the cost was to be contributed by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy as Central Finance Assistance (CFA)", sources said, adding that the installations of these power plants would enable uninterrupted power supply to the various police installations. Sources further said that as per conditions mentioned in the NIT, the failure of company to complete the project in stipulated time, was to be imposed penalty of 10 percent, but same was not imposed, due to reasons best known to authorities concerned.
Moreover, sources said, instead of penalizing the firm, the Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police, which was the awarding agency, has awarded another contract with estimated cost of around Rs 10 Crores, to the 'poor performer' Delhi based firm. An official seeking anonymity said that it was surprising to notice that at one hand Armed Police authorities have not imposed penalty to the Delhi based firm and has awarded another contract instead.
"The Armed Police was supposed to impose penalty to the firm and once the penalty would be imposed, another tender could not be allotted to the same firm", he said, and alleging that there was a deep rooted nexus between some police officials and Delhi based firm, which was safeguarding the firm. Additional Director General of Police Headquarter, SP Vaid said that the firm has submitted a plea, urging them to extend the period of completion. "Most of the implements, which are to be installed, are imported from foreign countries and due to fluctuation in dollar the firm, has failed to import the gadgets", he said while referring the plea of firm.
He further maintained that there was another project which was to be completed by December 31. "There was no other company which was willing to execute the work in a short span of time, so the project was awarded to same firm", he said. Contradicting the claims of ADGP, an official of another supply firm, said that according to the NIT, only MNRE approved material was to be used in the said project.
"ADGP is hiding the facts as there are hundreds of suppliers of same gadgets in India, which are approved by MNRE. There is no question of import from foreign countries and the plea of dollar fluctuation is only a tactics to shield the firm", he claimed adding that the import material could not be applicable under MNRE guidelines. |
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