Contractors quote `1 per kg price for veggies to get tender
- But these contractors do not supply those vegetables to KGBV, APMS students
- They collect high prices for other vegetables
- Due to non-supply of about 20 vegetables, students are deprived of them, which is affecting their health and nutrition
Srikakulam: Quoting low prices for certain items to get tenders and claiming high rates for other items is prevailing practice at Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayams (KGBV) and AP Model Schools (APMS). KGBVs and APMS are under direct control and supervision of the Samagra Shiksha (SS) additional project coordinator (APC) at district. For supply of vegetables and different pulses, tenders were invited in December last year and finalised on December 31 by the district purchase committee (DPC). Normally, applicants who quoted low prices get tenders to supply the vegetables and pulses. Joint collector (JC) is the convenor and district collector is the chairman for the DPC.
Technically, the DPC finalised the tenders and allots the same to the contractor who quoted a low price without going deep into the ground situation. The present tender period started on January 1 this year and will be in force till April 23.
The ridiculous thing is out of 29 different vegetables, the contractor quotes Rs 1 for per kg for about 20 items. It means he wished to supply those vegetables for Rs1 per kg which is practically impossible in the prevailing market conditions. As per the tender accepted by the DPC, the contractor has to supply vegetables like ginger, cauliflower, carrot, green chilli, beans, angular gourds, green plantain, beetroot and 12 other items at Rs 1 per kg.
The point is the contractor who secured tender quoted prices technically with the alleged help of senior assistant cadre staff members of Samagra Shiksha. The fact is the vegetable items which are quoted for Rs 1 will not be supplied by the contractor in reality and he will supply only items which were quoted for high price. Quoting low prices for certain items is the only way to get tender. But due to these loopholes in the tender process, students of the KGBV and APMS are unable to consume certain vegetables.
“I have joined as additional project coordinator (APC) for Samagra Shiksha (SS) recently. By that that time tender process had concluded and I am studying the systems here to rectify loopholes in it to serve students better by preventing misuse of public money,” APC of the SS Dr Sampathirao Sasibhushan told The Hans India.
