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GHMC flouts norms
Flouting all norms the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has been speeding up the tender process for different works to be undertaken by the corporation. As a result it is not only violating the GO 94 which stipulates for a minimum duration of 14 days between the date of publication and receipt of a tender but also causing financial loss to the corporation.
In the name of fast tracking tenders
Flouting all norms the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has been speeding up the tender process for different works to be undertaken by the corporation. As a result it is not only violating the GO 94 which stipulates for a minimum duration of 14 days between the date of publication and receipt of a tender but also causing financial loss to the corporation.
Most of the tenders are cleared in three to four days instead of the usual 14 days. “Sitting on files for months is one of the reasons for speeding up the process and the penchant for the Commissioner to oversee every possible tender was the reason for delay,” said a bidder on condition of anonymity.
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A senior GHMC official said that in the past files would move faster as there was delegation of authority but now the administration is top heavy. Even a small tender needs to be approved by the commissioner. The Swachh Bharat works amounting to Rs 200 crore were stopped for administration sanction for two months. Likewise, several other works have been languishing in the office for months.
By not calling for tenders, the loss is on many fronts. Firstly, broader competition is not taking place, abnormal quotations are order of the day which has opened the room for nepotism. The works are decided based on availability of funds and priority. Once the administration sanction is complete it goes through a technical sanction and then tenders are called for.
An executive engineer said that since the tenders are called for in such a quick time, there is no time to conduct the technical sanction. Ultimately quality would suffer by not giving a chance for broader competition.The zonal commissioners can approve works up to Rs 10 lakh, the superintendent engineer can approve works up to Rs 50 lakh and the chief engineer has the authority to give the go ahead for projects above Rs 50 lakh.
The tendering process for several works is held up. Today, administrative sanctions are being taken up only when there is political pressure or when there is a public outcry. Ashwin Allari Naidu, secretary, United Federation of Residents Welfare Association, says, “There is audit taking place in the GHMC.
We have written several letters to the commissioner but there is no response. Devender, a social scientist, says that there is a manual for civil contracts and the GO 94 is sacrosanct. It has been approved by the cabinet and no officer can violate it.
