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| 'JU illegally notifies tender worth Rs 30 lakh through e-mail' | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, June 21: Ignoring rules, bye-passing established norms, extending special to favour blue-eyed and corruption have become a culture in Jammu University.
Sources told Early Times that under the leadership of vice-chancellor Prof R D Sharma University authorities have clandestinely and illegally notified a tender through e-mail to selected advertisement agencies for publishing advertisements worth more than Rs 30 lakh in various national and local dailies.
Sources revealed that Media Officer on June 21, 2018 shot a tender notice through e-mail to three advertisement agencies of Jammu, out of which only one is INS approved, seeking quotations for publishing of B.Ed admission notification for the session 2018-20 in different newspapers. "The advertisement agencies have been asked to personally submit the quotations along with other terms and conditions to the Registrar, University of Jammu on June 22, 2018. And, the tenders will be opened on the same day i.e. June 22, 2018 at 12:00 PM sharp," sources added.
According to norms, tenders should be widely advertised through newspapers or placed on official website and appropriate time be provided to contractors/service providers to prepare and submit the quotations but, the Jammu University has totally reversed the culture to favour a particular advertisement agency, said a senior JU official.
"We have been routing all our advertisements through Information Department then why officials have gone out of way to hire the service of advertisement agencies especially when it comes to publishing of B.Ed admission notification which is very costly affair," he questioned. He added that there were some officials who had patronized advertisement agencies and selective tendering through e-mail was an attempt to extend undue benefit to them.
"Absolutely there is no need to seek the service of advertisement agencies when JU is already having tie up with Information Department for release of advertisement to publications and the even latter is not charging anything for the same. But, those who are taking graft or other favours from advertisement agencies are bye-passing Information Department when it comes to publishing of advertisements in national dailies. I am surprised how Registrar gave nod to e-mail tender especially when she knows that it is illegal," a senior professor who held administrative position in the varsity commented.
Even if you intend to hire the service of advertisement agencies, there is a proper way, go for tender notice in newspaper so as to facilitate open competition among the bidders but, the clandestine way of e-mailing tender to only three agencies and that too, a day before, it is disgusting and total abuse of power, he further commented and sought registration of FIR against the officials involved.
When contacted, Joint Director Information, Naresh Kumar said, "It is improper on part of university to go for advertisement through advertisement agencies especially when the department is already releasing their advertisement in local dailies. We have not been informed by the University authorities in this regard. The matter is objectionable.
Pertinent to mention here that in May, 2015, the J&K High Court had directed the University of Jammu (JU) to follow University Grants Commission (UGC) norms of accreditation in the matter of allotment of advertisements to the advertising agencies.
In an interim order passed by the HC on a petition of an Advertising Agency, the court had directed the university to consider releasing the admitted amount (Rs 14.5 lakh) to the petitioner, which had been pending since 2009. The petitioner had pleaded before the court that his agency was the only INS-accredited advertising agency in J&K and it was being ignored by the JU while releasing the ads.
According to sources, the University has till date not cleared the pending payment of the said agency and is openly disobeying the court order with regard to following UGC Norms of accreditation in the matter of allotment of advertisements to the advertising agencies. This process of e-mail tendering was going on for the last three years but the matter remained secret as only two agencies participated in the process while, the third one (INS approved) abstained because of dispute on pending payment. |
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