Karnataka - Bangalore   

Association accuses BDA of favouring five contractors

BANGALORE: The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has allegedly changed eligibility criteria favouring only five “identified” electrical contractors to participate in the tender for executing some electrical works in some of the new areas added to the Bangalore city.

Levelling charges against BDA, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike and Local Bodies Electrical Contractors’ Association on Thursday claimed that the officials had packaged the electrical works and fixed the terms and conditions of the tender in such a manner that it made only five contractors, who had executed electrification works in the layouts formed by the BDA, eligible to secure the contract.

Urging the Government to immediately cancel the tender process and initiate action against the officials and engineers concerned, association president Sridhar told presspersons that the BDA had made electrical works such as providing and fitting streetlights, high-mast lights and control switches, amounting to about Rs 16.7 crore into only five packages, each amounting to about Rs. 3 crore. The association demanded that the BDA should create smaller packages to give opportunities for more contractors and workers depending on them.

While referring to BDA’s clarification that the packaging was done as per August 30 Government Order (GO), Mr. Sridhar said the GO had only directed the BDA to entrust the works in packages and not in pieces. Moreover, the GO had not put any restriction on maximum number of packages, amount for each package and so on.

He said in the case of tenders invited for civil works to be executed in new areas based on the same GO, the BDA had created six smaller packages for works amounting to only Rs. 9.3 crore to be executed in different areas of Dasarahalli Assembly Constituency. The fixation of terms would not only ensure that works were awarded to the five ‘identified’ contractors but also ensured that all the five got a contract each, the association alleged.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Man dies in custody
Two caught cutting trees
RGUHS to revise exam rules
CBI probe sought into denotification of land
NSG: Yeddyurappa seeks Manmohan’s intervention
It was the year of the Volvo Report card
When the giving hand becomes a tight fist
Association accuses BDA of favouring five contractors
Two arrested, firearms seized
Parking lot to come up at Victoria Hospital
He cobbles together a living at work
Retired ITI employees still waiting for their dues
Age limit
‘Translate major works into regional languages’
Couple with fake work permits arrested Crime Notes
Meet begins
Family of suicide victim inconsolable
Farm yields must rise: economist
Tension over prayers
Bangalore today

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu