The Hindu : Kerala News : Textbook printing: Left parties pull up Government

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 10, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Textbook printing: Left parties pull up Government

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JUNE 9. The Left parties have pulled up the Government for the alleged irregularities in the award of contract for the printing of schoolbooks and the failure to complete the work before the beginning of the academic year.

The Leader of the Opposition, V.S. Achuthanandan, in a statement here today, alleged that large- scale corruption took place in the award of the printing work to six private presses. Even though a number of printing presses in the SSI category in Kerala had applied for the contract, the work involving the printing of over 1.25 crore textbooks was awarded to firms in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu. In all 35 firms had submitted tenders but only six were accepted. Only one press in Kerala, located in Kozhikode, got some work but it was also nominal. This press not only did not have the capacity to use reel paper but was also remaining closed for months. The Kottayam Cooperative Printing Agency that was also awarded some work did not have printing facility anywhere in the State. These two institutions were understood to be run by "benamis."

Mr. Achuthanandan claimed that the High Court had pointed out that there was something mysterious in the quoting of the same rate by the six presses which had bagged the award. It was against the rules to bag the work in the name of institutions in Kerala and then award it to agencies outside the State. The Minister had said that it was not possible to prevent the institutions which bagged the award from doing the work outside the State. It was such helplessness which protected the corrupt, he said.

Mr. Achuthanandan said that as per rules, the work had to be awarded to agencies which were capable of completing the work within the stipulated time and at the lowest rate.

Unpardonable: CPI

The State secretary of the CPI, Veliyam Bhargavan, described as unpardonable the laxity shown by the Government in the printing of textbooks. He said that half the work was still left even though the academic year had begun. There was no justification for the delay. He felt that the eagerness shown by the Government in favouring some private presses was responsible for the whole problem. The work was awarded to even persons who did not have a press, he said.

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