CHENNAI: Greater Chennai Corporation has cancelled three tenders worth Rs 57 crore in the pan city road relaying and storm water drain linking projects. This comes even as civic activism group Arappor Iyakkam allege bidding discrepancies in both these projects. According to council resolution numbers 935 and 936 dated November 22, the city corporation has approved the cancellation of a tender in which the husband and wife were the only bidders and two tenders where the bidders quoted the same price.
However, the corporation has cited ‘not signing contract’ and ‘not making security deposit’ for the cancellations. “This is an attempt to protect the bureaucrats who allowed these fraudulent tenders and signed off on them. The actual reasons must be mentioned,” said Jayaram Venkatesan, convenor of the movement, calling for cancellation of all tenders in these projects, at a press meet on Sunday.
The civic activism group had come out with a list of discrepancies in tenders of these two projects on November 1 and had provided evidence that bids were submitted from the same computers, suggesting bidder collusion on November 22.
However, these resolutions passed on the same day have not penalised the contractors. “Only if these contractors who flout rules are penalised, violations can be curbed,” said Jayaram Venkatesan, inviting citizens to write to Corporation Commissioner to cancel all the tenders.
“We are scrutinising the tenders and if violations are found, they will be cancelled,” said a top Corporation official.