Shimla, Nov 23
The efforts done by the leftist to raise concern over a tendering process by SJPNL has borne results as the bid to supply 24×7/water to capital Shimla has been cancelled by the SPV. “As the approval by the world bank has not come so fr, so we have decided to cancel the tender on technical grounds, stated Pankaj Lalit, MD of SJPNL in a media report while informing about cancellation of this controversial award to Suez India at 683 crores.
Pertinent to mention that during poll campaigning days, both former Mayor Sanjay Chayhan and Dy Mayor Tikender Singh Panwar had raised concern over this tender. In a media interaction they had alleged irregularities in allotment of this tender award, alleging loss of more than 200 crores to the state exchequer.
Also readhttps://himachalscape.com/gross-violations-in-tendering-of-world-bank-water-project-in-shimla-former-dy-mayor-reiterate-matter-with-cs/
Infact immediately after the polling got over, Tikender had written to the Chief Secratery to cancel this tender based on a reply by world bank.
Raising a question mark on the bidding process of World Bank water project for the Shimla planning area, the MLA candidate from Shimla urban Panwar had started that there is cartelisation in the project by L1 & L2 bidders resulting in huge loss of almost 33% above estimated value to the State exchequer.
Sharing the response of his complaint to World bank, Panwar in a mail to RD Dhiman, Chief Secratery of Himachal Pradesh had added, “Please find below a reponse letter from World Bank, India, Ms Smita Misra, water and sanitation expert, looking after the current project concerning the Shimla-Himachal Pradesh Water Supply and Sewerage Services Improvement Program (PForR), financed by the World Bank.”
In the response Smita Misra, expert from world bank had stated, ” kindly note that the project in question is a Program for Results (PForR) project, which follows the procurement and complaint handling procedures of the ‘borrower,’ in this case, the Government of Himachal Pradesh (GoHP).” Adding, “For your information, World Bank procurement procedures applicable to Investment Project Financing (IPF) projects do not apply in the same way to PforR projects,” they stated.
Panwar contended that since only 2 parties came forth for participating in the bidding process, it is not in sync with the prescribed norms and therefore a re tender should be invited.
While talking to HimachalScape Panwar stated that no tender in the country has been decided in such a short span of time.” “Hence, awarding of the tender at this stage in such a hurry at the 1st call at such a high cost and in violation of the norms set by the Himachal Pradesh government itself is extremely unjustified and would be a heavy loss to the project, which is funded by the World Bank and the people of the state,” had alleged Tikender.
In his letter to CS, former Dy Mayor wrote, “I request you once again to take necessary action as it was the first call/and only two parties participating in this call cannot qualify for advancing the process. Fresh tenders may be called to save the state from such a big loss, ” had concluded Panwar.
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