Dimapur, October 31 (MExN): ACAUT Nagaland today alleged that the director of Food and Civil Supplies (F&CS) despite an appeal to cancel and rectify the tender called to transport PDS under National Food Security Act (NFSA) covering entire blocks of Nagaland “went ahead with total disregard to the rules and procedure.” The director was appealed to cancel the tender “pointing out anomalies and procedural flaw in the NIT and for bending the rule of the game for conies and syndicate,” ACAUT stated in a press release.
“The Director further went a step ahead by bending rules to protect those cronies and syndicates creating history in tendering process for wrong reason by adding a clause under terms and condition which was neither listed in the tender document nor in the NIT. This clause signed by the Director was made known to the participants inside the tender opening hall,” it claimed. The clause, according to the release, reads, “After opening of tender, no complaint shall be entertained.” ACAUT termed the clause “an attempt to make his manipulation foolproof.”
ACAUT further questioned the Tender Committee as to how some firms with same truck registration and numbers were made to qualify technically for multiple districts when the tender guidelines clearly says that, “A tendered should have a minimum of Ten (10) numbers of trucks attached for carrying food grains.” It wondered if contractor with 10-15 trucks is awarded contract for multiple districts, then whether it will be feasible for the contractor to carry all the food grains.
It also demanded that the contract work should be split into separate 75 blocks rather than 11 districts, “so that many educated unemployed youth can gainfully engage themselves as self-employment rather than few powerful individuals.” Meanwhile, it reminded the director to cancel the tender immediately and make changes as suggested by ACAUT. “Failure to comply with the demand the Director who is NIT calling authority will be fully responsible as stated in our earlier letter to the Director.”
