Shimla, July 23
The Himachal Pradesh State Agricultural Marketing Board (HPSAMB) has firmly denied allegations of irregularities in its digitization tender process, countering claims made by the Leader of Opposition, Jairam Thakur.
A spokesperson for HPSAMB emphasized that the tender process adhered to all codal formalities and was transparent and compliant with the Himachal Pradesh Financial Rules-2009.
The controversy stems from the Board’s recent request for proposals (RFP) for selecting a system integrator to design, develop, implement, and maintain an integrated management system, as announced by the Chief Minister in the 2024-25 budget speech. HPSAMB hired a consultant from HP State Electronics Development Corporation to assist in preparing the tender document. Subsequently, a tender committee, including officials from IT, accounts, marketing, and legal departments, was formed to evaluate, award, and implement the project.
After issuing the RFP and publicizing it widely, the committee evaluated the bids. Qualified bidders were invited to present their technical proposals. Following this, the Letter of Intent (LoI) was awarded to the most suitable bidder. However, the selected bidder later requested the inclusion of GST in the quoted price, which was not initially specified in the Bill of Quantities (BoQ).
The spokesperson clarified that the committee declined this request and rescinded the tender as the bidder failed to comply with the tender conditions. Throughout the process, all mandatory government guidelines and financial rules were strictly followed.
Earlier last week, Leader of opposition Jairam Thakur had alleged a scam, accusing the government of backtracking due to opposition pressure. He had claimed the board initially accepted the bidder’s GST request but later used it as a pretext to cancel the tender. Thakur demanded transparency and strict action against those involved.
However, HPSAMB maintains that the tender process was conducted with integrity, and the decision to cancel was based solely on non-compliance with tender conditions, not on any alleged scam. The board reiterates its commitment to transparency and adherence to financial rules.
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