COIMBATORE: Following objections, officials of the water resources department (WRD), Aliyar Basin division under the Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP), have removed one of the tender conditions that required contractors to visit the work site and obtain a certificate from the executive engineer (EE).
Representatives of Arappor Iyakkam claimed that the condition was withdrawn only after they raised the issue with the WRD officials.
According to Arappor Iyakkam convener Jayaram Venkatesan, the EE had uploaded a tender condition on the online portal stating that contractors intending to bid for the work — clearing grass and fallen debris in the Senguttuvan Branch Canal in Pollachi taluk — should personally visit the site. After the visit, the EE would issue a certificate, which had to be uploaded along with the other tender documents.
"There were nine different projects, each to be executed at an estimated cost ranging from Rs 2.97 lakh to Rs 4.95 lakh within a period of two months. Following our objection, the department removed the condition and issued a corrigendum," Venkatesan said.
He also urged the department to revise another tender condition that allegedly restricts participation to only five contractors. When contacted, R Narendran, EE, WRD, Aliyar Basin division, admitted that making the site visit certificate mandatory was a mistake and said the condition had been withdrawn following the objections.
Responding to the demand to remove the other controversial condition limiting the number of participating contractors, Narendran said appropriate action would be taken based on instructions from the department's headquarters in Chennai.