 Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 20: Jammu Business Coordination Committee (JBCC) and BJPs Beopar Cell have alleged gross irregularities in the purchase of Solar Lights worth over 100 crore rupees.
According to press release, on the basis of representation made by the Solar and Renewable Energy Dealers Associations, the Chairman Jammu Business Coordination committee and convenor BJP Beopar Cell Kulbushan Mohtra charged the J&K Home Ministry of being hand in glove with a particular company dealing in manufacturing and sale of solar energy lights and frequently changing and amending the NIT, with a view to eliminate competition and going all of the way out to benefit a single company in purchase of solar lights for over Rs 100 crore.
Giving details of the scandal, in which the Chief Minister, in charge home and MoS home are alleged to be the main beneficiaries, Mohtra stated that a tender was floated by technical education director J&K in October 2012 for purchase of Solar Lights for an amount of Rs 32 crore, where in the said tender was allotted to TATA by overruling the norms, despite objections raised by various members of the purchase committee, on record of the file. Still only TATA was made eligible for the deal.
In November 2013 tender under reference was floated for inviting bids for the subject amounting to Rs 100 crore.
However, since the deal was not settled with TATA, the tender was cancelled under the instructions of Home Ministry.
Again the tender was invited in June 2014 and in order to keep all other companies out of pre qualification criteria three corrigendum were uploaded in series on the website of the purchasing agency.
Despite representation made by the other prospective bidders including Centre Electronic Limited, A Government of India Enterprise and UM Green Light Ltd to J&K Energy Development Agency (JKEDA) Science and Technology Department, is feared by the other bidders that the government is bent on to purchase of Solar Lights at very high rates, on the basis of single tender, by setting conditions in the last corrigendum to the NIT, meant to eliminate all other bidders, Mohtra has charged. |
