CHENNAI: In a bid to improve transparency, enhance competition and prevent irregularities, the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department has introduced a uniform set of tender guidelines for all temples across the state.
Minister S Ramesh told reporters on Thursday the department has made online bidding mandatory, standardised tender procedures and tightened monitoring of contracts.
He clarified the existing contracts will continue until expiry, while fresh tenders, kept on hold for about a month pending the reforms, will now resume under the new framework.
Explaining the salient features of the reforms being carried out in the tender system, the minister told reporters that the corrective measures have been devised after a 40-day review of the department’s tendering process, which had identified loopholes and areas requiring administrative reforms.
The new guidelines would govern contracts relating to prasadam stalls, flower and fruit supply, parking facilities, procurement and sale of devotees’ hair, livestock offered to temples, manpower services and other outsourced works.
The minister said all future tenders would be conducted entirely online through a common digital platform, with standardised application forms and affidavits in Tamil and English. The department has also standardised the Earnest Money Deposit and fixed the security deposit at 5% of the contract value, while making GST and PAN details mandatory for all bidders.
Ramesh said the financial bidding process had been modified to allow bidders to improve their quotations within a specified period instead of awarding contracts immediately to the initial lowest bidder. Wherever feasible, contracts could also be split among multiple contractors. Penalty clauses have been incorporated to address delays, supply of substandard materials, quantity shortages and other contractual violations.
The revised guidelines also prescribe stricter monitoring of contracts.
Restrictions on attending pre-bid meetings have been removed to encourage wider participation.