The Aam Aadmi Party in Karnataka has alleged irregularities in the tender process floated for infrastructure projects in three Assembly constituencies in Bengaluru including Govindraj Nagar, Yeshwanthpura and Rajarajeshwari Nagar. The projects under the scanner include the construction of a multi-specialty hospital in Govindraj Nagar constituency and building infrastructure and houses in Yeshwanthpur and Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituencies. All tenders concerning these constructions have been classified as short-term tenders.
The tender for the construction of a multi-speciality hospital in Pantharapalya to be built in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) ward number 131 is worth Rs 32 crore. The project, according to the tender documents, is to be completed within 120 days, and the tender was called for this on November 30, 2022. But the deadline for submitting the documents with the quotation and the project specifications ended on December 7, 2022, just around a week from the opening of the bid.
The second set of tenders where AAP has alleged irregularities is for construction of houses in slum areas in Yeshwanthpur and Rajarajeshwari nagar. The total value of the three tenders is over Rs 42 crore. The tenders were called by the Karnataka Slum Development Board (KSDB) under the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban Housing Finance Authority scheme (PMAY-UHFA).
The first tender is for the construction of 73 houses and infrastructure in Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency under RAY scheme, worth Rs 3.9 crore to be completed in 12 months. The second is for the construction of 503 houses and infrastructure in Yeshwanthpura constituency under PMAY U scheme – worth Rs 29.63 crore and to be completed in 18 months and the third is for balance work for 357 houses in Yeshwanthpura constituency under PMAY U scheme – worth Rs 8.82 crore to be completed in 12 months. Though all the tenders are for above Rs 2 crore, less than a week has been given as the deadline. This is in contravention of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act, 1999.
KTPP rules say that authorities have to ensure that for tenders of value above Rs 2 crore in value, a 30-day period should be given. “Any reduction in the time stipulated under sub-rule (1) has to be specifically authorised by an authority superior to the Tender Inviting Authority for reasons to be recorded in writing,” the Act says.
“This tender looks completely pre-planned. They have been given just seven days to decide on the tender. For a project of this magnitude, it looks like it is all pre-booked and pre-decided,” alleges Karnataka AAP unit vice-president Bhaskar Rao. “Any vendor will have to do due diligence, seek expert opinion and one week is not enough to do all this. For a project like this, technical details for the infrastructure should be finalised. Even for short-term tenders worth over Rs 20 crore, you will need 15-20 days to prepare the estimate,” he adds.
The tender conditions specify that those who bid for the tender should not be declared ineligible by Karnataka government for corrupt and fraudulent practices and that tender bids from joint ventures are not acceptable. Sources in Karnataka Contractors’ Association say that government agencies have been giving just seven days time for bidding, though KTPP Act specifies at least 15 days to file tender bids for short-term tenders.