The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Varumun Kappom project launch as scheduled

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 23, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Varumun Kappom project launch as scheduled

Special Correspondent

With court vacating stay on purchase of semi auto analysers

CHENNAI: Clearing the way for the launch of the State Government's Varumun Kappom (preventive medical scheme) project as scheduled, the Madras High Court on Friday vacated a stay on purchase of semi auto analysers for distribution to district medical units.

Justice K. Suguna vacated the interim injunction and permitted the Government to purchase 120 semi auto analysers, to be distributed to 30 districts on December 30.

Last week, admitting a writ petition from the Mumbai-based M/s Transasia Bio-Medicals Limited, the court had restrained the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation from taking any further steps pursuant to the acceptance of the bid of M/s Merck Specialities Private Limited.

It contended that Merck did not satisfy key tender conditions relating to minimum turn over and experience.

In its counter, Merck Specialities said it was a 100 per cent subsidiary of Merck KgaA, having a global turnover of over Rs. 32,000 crore.

The quotes

When the matter came up for further proceedings on Friday, senior counsel and former Additional Advocate-General A.L. Somayaji submitted that Merck Specialities had quoted Rs. 65,000 per medical unit against Rs. 1.7 lakh by Transasia. Documentary proof for Rs.50-crore turnover, which was one of the tender conditions, too had been furnished.

Denying violation of any statutory provisions, he said the tendering authority had applied the principles of evaluation uniformly and could not be faulted.

P.S. Raman, Additional Advocate-General, said arrangements had been made to launch the scheme on December 30.

The Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation has called for tender to purchase 385 semi auto analysers. The purchase of the remaining units shall be done after the present writ petition is disposed of.

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