Costly pothole cure: BBMP has to spend over Rs 1,000 on a 1 metre-square crater
BBMP vigilance cell to download 500-plus documents pertaining to the tender for O&M of the Kannur hot-mix plant
BENGALURU:
In a first-of-its-kind case for BBMP’s technical vigilance cell (TVCC), the investigating team will be scrutinizing the Rs 270-crore tender for operation and maintenance of the civic agency’s hot-mix asphalt plant at Kannur village in Bengaluru. What is more, the engineers in the TVCC have decided to download all the tender documents instead of obtaining them from fellow-engineers in the Road Infrastructure wing, who are currently under a cloud for allegedly favouring one of the bidders for the contract.
Also Read: Fortuner car turns ‘tipper’ to bag Rs 270-crore tender for pothole-filling in Bengaluru! https://thebengalurulive.com/fortuner-car-turns-tipper-to-bag-rs-270-crore-tender-for-pothole-filling-in-bengaluru/
On Thursday, Rakesh Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development Department), who is also the BBMP Administrator, had directed BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta to conduct an inquiry through the TVCC following allegations of favouritism in awarding the contract for operation and maintenance of the Kannur plant.
For the record, Gupta had cleared the relevant file even after a complaint alleging irregularities in the tendering process was received by his office on May 7. Administrator Rakesh Singh too had approved the tendering process file on May 26. However, after being tipped off about the scam. Singh had ordered a TVCC inquiry. On Friday, the Chief Commissioner’s office handed over the tendering file to the vigilance cell.
Also Read: Fortuner-turned-‘tipper’ scam: BBMP Administrator orders vigilance cell probe https://thebengalurulive.com/fortuner-turned-tipper-scam-bbmp-administrator-orders-vigilance-cell-probe/
Sources told TheBengaluruLive that the TVCC will be conducting an investigation into a tender for the first time. Hitherto, the vigilance cell has investigated completed works for any violations.
The tendering file handed over to them doesn’t have any documents related to the tender. In fact, instead of relying on fellow-engineers in the Road Infrastructure wing which had invited the tender, the engineers in the TVCC have decided to download 500-plus pages from the e-procurement portal.
“This is a first-of-its-kind investigation undertaken by the TVCC. In this case, we cannot rely on engineers to submit fair documents. Hence, we have decided to download all the documents. Each contractor has uploaded around 100-plus documents and each page needs to be properly verified,” an engineer said.
Read Here: Fortuner-turned-‘tipper’ scam: How did a one-year-old company become eligible for BBMP’s Rs 270-crore pothole-filling tender? https://thebengalurulive.com/fortuner-turned-tipper-scam-how-did-a-one-year-old-company-become-eligible-for-bbmps-rs-270-crore-pothole-filling-tender/
Another engineer said the TVCC would require at least half a day to download all the documents and sufficient time to verify them. “Though we have been asked to submit the report in three days — the file has been in our custody since Friday afternoon – half a day has gone in seeing the file and discussions within the team. We need another half-day to download all the documents. Our aim is to compile everything and submit the report within three days, but it may take some more days to share the report with the Chief Commissioner,” he said.
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