TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Info Tech Corporation of Goa chairman and MLA Subhash Phaldesai denied the multicrore scam in purchase of 47,000 tablet computers to students in Goa under a “netbook scheme” as alleged by ex-director of the InfoTech Corporation and IIT Alumni Samir Kelekar.
Phaldessai flanked by Nilesh Phaldessai and Goa IT Business Association chief V Dessai said that they had followed all procedures and wanted to give local businessman, business as well as the best product to the students.
On being asked whether the tablets could have been procured for less (Rs 7200), Phaldesai said that in case anyone could give it for that rate he would immediately give him the new tender even as he admitted that the bulk tender had resulted in only a discount of Rs 500 or so, per piece.
Kelekar along with two other IT professionals alleged that the government is procuring the tablets at almost Rs 2,000 more than the retail price, when ideally bulk orders should be substantially cheaper resulting in a loss of around Rs 20 crore to the exchequer.
They had also alleged that Acer as well as HCL Corporation have been blacklisted by the Rajasthan government and Syscon Automation has been blacklisted by the Goa University as recently as September last year.
However Phaldessai argued that at the time of the tender the blacklisting of one was stayed and so the matter was subjudice while of the other the blacklisting was later.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had also claimed that Acer has got the blacklisting stayed by the Rajasthan High Court, but Kelekar had alleged that the tender condition clearly mentions that they have to declare whether they have been blacklisted or not irrespective of stay, which they haven’t done in their declaration.
Kelekar had also argued that the government and the InfoTech Corporation of Goa which floated the tender, narrowed down the eligibility criteria to ensure that only five “favoured” bidders would be eligible and a major chunk — 78.5% — of the total supply of the project tablets was given to them over the last 12 to 13 years and that the difference in quotes varied by Re 1 in some instances and in multiples of Rs 100 in other instances.
