VIJAYAWADA: The State government on Monday exempted ‘Power For All’ works taken up with World Bank funds from reverse tendering and Judicial Preview as per the World Bank procurement guidelines.
For ensuring transparency in awarding tenders, the State government made it mandatory for any work exceeding `100 crore to be sent to the Judicial Preview Committee headed by retired Judge Justice B Siva Sankara Rao to scrutinise the tenders and put it in public domain to seek suggestions and objections of people.
Later, reverse tendering will be held and works will be awarded to those who quote the lesser amount.
However, the lending agency with respect to ‘Power For All’ works, the World Bank, did not accept the new procedures introduced by the government through GO Ms No 69 of August 28, 2019. Similarly, the Union Ministry of Finance in April 2020 asked the government to exempt works with loan agreements with international agencies from State laws.
Moreover, the loan agreement was signed on June 22, 2017, prior to the GO issued by the State government setting up Judicial Preview and implementing reverse tendering.Following this, the chairman and managing director of the AP Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited, Visakhapatnam, requested the government to exempt the ‘Power For All’ works from reverse tendering and judicial preview.
Energy Secretary Nagulapalli Srikanth on Monday issued orders exempting Judicial Preview, reverse tendering and Public Procurement (preference to Make in India) for the ongoing works of ‘Power for All’ project being implemented by the AP Discoms.
While exempting the works from the State laws, Srikanth asked the APTRANSCO/APEPDCL/APCPDCL /APSPDCL to complete the procurement process as agreed and ensure that the project is completed within the time as assured to the Directorate of Economic Affairs of the Union Ministry of Finance.