CUTTACK: Delay in finalisation of tender for empanelment of outsourcing agencies by Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) to procure manpower for carrying out city’s sanitation work has raised questions over its transparency.
It has been alleged, in the tender process officials are showing undue favour to a particular outsourcing agency. Despite the agency concerned being blacklisted by Angul Municipality and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), it is alleged that the officials of CMC are trying to finalise the tender in its favour.
As per the rule of e-tender, the related documents of all the outsourcing agencies participating in the tender process should be uploaded to the e-tender website. But even after 100 days the same is yet to be done, raising questions over the transparency in the process.
Reports suggest, CMC had floated a tender for empanelment of registered firms/agencies for providing manpower service on March 2. This came after a report was published in The New Indian Express on February 12 exposing the gross irregularities committed by the civic body in staff engagement through outsourcing flouting all government norms.
As many as nine outsourcing agencies had participated in the tender process, with four being rejected due to lack of technical feasibility. Rule restrains blacklisted agency from participating in the tender process, but it has been alleged that it participated by filing a false affidavit.
The CMC officials are showing undue favour to that particular blacklisted outsourcing agency and trying to finalise the tender in its favour, alleged Prakash Kumar Beura, a resident of Samadhi Patna, who has also submitted petition to RDC, Central Range, Cuttack demanding a high-level probe into the matter.
City Engineer Suba Rao Patra clarified that the agency debarred by Angul Municipality has now been revoked, and added that the tender would be finalised after opening of the financial bid of the five outsourcing agencies.