KASARGOD: Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan said Kasargod-based computer supplier Blue Moon Systemz was misleading and pressuring government schools to buy computers from it by suggesting it was “in adjustment” with the MLA’s office.
He said representatives of the company approached schools in his constituency with a copy of the administrative sanction given by the Collector and procured the supply order from the heads of institutions.
“I can’t recommend any company nor have I done so. Schools should follow the purchase rules set up the Directorate of Public Instruction,” he said. Based on the Minister’s complaint made at a project review meeting on Friday, Collector Jeevan Babu K directed officers to make a list of schools which bought computers from Blue Moon Systemz. He has directed his finance officer to file a case against the company if it is found to have circumvented purchase rules.
Every year, the MLA’s special development fund gets Rs 1 crore to spend on roads and schools. Chandrasekharan had decided to spend the fund only on government schools. “So when he gets an application for computers, he forwards it to the Collector who is the implementing officer. The minister is not involved in the process of purchase,” said the Minister’s secretary. This year, the Minister got requests for 89 computers from 20 schools, he said.
HMs nail Blue Moon
Head teachers of several schools Express spoke to said the company misled them by saying they had won the bid across the state to supply computers to schools.
“The representatives of the company came to our school the very day after we got the administrative sanction (AS) for four computers,” said Gopa Kumar, head teacher of Government UP School, Erikulam.
“They had a copy of the AS and told us they were entrusted with supplying computers to the school. So, I had no reason to disbelief them,” he said. The representatives reportedly told him Blue Moon would take care of all the documentation. “So I signed the purchase order,” he said.
Molly Joseph, head teacher of Government UP School, Hosdurg Kadappuram, said she knew the company was lying to get orders. “The government will not select one supplier for across the state. So I bought time by saying I will discuss it with the PTA,” she said. But when she checked with other head teachers, she found the company was “supplying computers to all of them”.
“I was also worried about missing the deadline of September 30. If that happened, the PTA would blame me for losing the fund. So after 10 days, I gave the purchase order to Blue Moon,” she said.
According to an officer, the company had approached GLPS Chernathala in Madikai; GUPS, Panangad and SVMGUPS, Edathod, with the same sales pitch.
All the head teachers said the company had not gotten back to them yet. Krishna said the company had been supplying computers for 13 years. “Even the system in the Collector’s cabin was supplied by us. These charges are being trumped up against us to favour our competitors,” he said. But Chandrasekharan said in the meeting he got complaints computers supplied to schools conked off in one year.
Company refutes charge
Last year, Blue Moon Systemz supplied 56 computers to schools in Udma, Kanhangad, and Trikaripur Assembly constituencies under the scheme, said Ganesh Krishna, partner of the company. He, however, denied the charge of misleading schools by
saying it was recommended by the MLA.