MARGAO: One Mohandas Lolienkar has served legal notices on Goa Chief Secretary, PWD Principal Chief Engineer and Executive Engineer, Fatorda, for not awarding the tender to his firm Concrete Creations, even though he had quoted the lowest amount.
Lolienkar had quoted Rs 33,31,049.35 for the tender of resurfacing of a road and construction of a retaining wall at Asaliwada, Shristal in Canacona. However, the tender was awarded to M/s Smurti Constructions which quoted marginally higher at Rs 33,51,999.31.
Lolienkar informed that his tender was rejected because he had quoted an amount which was 20% less than the estimated cost. Terming this rule irrational, Lolienkar said that it opens up the doors for corruption.
According to the Central PWD Manual, the authority has to accept the lowest bid. However, in a note dated 27/2/2001 by the then deputy chief minister and a circular dated 12/11/2007 sent by PWD Principal Chief Engineer Wachasundar, it was decided not to accept bids that were 20% below the estimated cost. This circular was introduced to prevent contractors from quoting a low amount and providing poor quality work.
But has this circular ensured that the contractors provide quality works? Lolienkar disagrees. He said that this rule has led to the cartelisation of the tendering process and had destroyed the purity of the tendering process.
“All contractors quote the same amount which is 20% below the estimated cost. Since all the bids are equal, the file goes to the minister and he decides who will be awarded the tender. The 2001 note shows that all the engineers are not qualified to select the best bidder and only the Minister has the intelligence to select the best contractor,” Loilienkar said. He said that he would approach the High court to scrap the notification.
