Dimapur, December 7 (MExN): The citizen who accused the Department of Social Welfare of flouting the Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) norms has termed the clarification given by the department a “farce”.
In a rejoinder to the clarification, the concerned citizen Lukiqhe Assümi argued that the excuse of short notice tender giving 7 days is "unknown".
“Normally institutions/Organizations/bodies issue short tender notice, but the same is 21 days or 30 days. Therefore, the excuse of defending 7 days is outrageous,” Assumi stated in his rejoinder which was addressed as a memorandum to the Chief Secretary, the Commissioner & Secretary Department of Social Welfare, and the Director, Directorate of Social Welfare.
Charging the Department of not following the direction of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) that transparency be maintained in public tendering processes, the complainant reminded that in open tender system, advertisements should be widely publicized to attract maximum participation for promoting transparency.
While acknowledging that short term tender notice below a particular value can be put up on the website alone without newspaper advertisement, Assumi however argued, “The tender in question is of such value that must be published/publicized widely to attract maximum participation and free and fair competition.”
The complainant also rejected the Department’s excuse that food products have shelf life of 120-180 days. “The concern is the quality of the products and quality price,” the complainant insisted while pointing out that goods from any part of India takes less than 1 (one) week to reach Nagaland.
The rejoinder further rebuffed the clarification on annual turnover and Cash Credit facility as “immaterial” since NSIC registered manufacturers fulfill certain criteria. “In the effort to clarify the illegalities committed, the Department of Social Welfare is trying to nullify/overrule the directive of the Central Government,” the complainant argued while maintaining that the concern, if required, should be the bank guarantee and not the CC as per the directive of the Central Government.
With regard the clarification that the tender was uploaded on the website/portal, the complainant insisted that in as much as the open tender notice has not been widely publicized, the same has been done with “ulterior motive” by breaking all the directives given by the central authority “to favor certain private party”.
The citizen termed the clarification an “eye wash” to escape the illegalities committed and reiterated that the illegal NIT cannot be allowed to proceed without following the due procedures of law.
“No department can be allowed to get a free ride by breaking all laid down norms and skirting the procedures of law,” Assumi maintained.
“Unless the Department of Social Welfare cancels the illegal NIT and calls for a fresh NIT by following the procedures of law, the same issue will be taken up before the Court of law and also before the appropriate central authority,” he added.
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