Kashmir Press Service
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Department has floated two tenders for Jammu and Kashmir three months back for setting up energy meter test labs for which bidding process is allegedly under bureaucratic influence.
The tender was issued under order No. JKPDD/Meter Testing Lab/2017-18/01/JAMMU, dated July 24, 2017 and JKPDD/Meter Testing Lab/2017-18/02/Kashmir.
For this tender, REC-TPCL has been appointed as a consultant (PMA). Thus all the tender process has been leaded by REC-TPCL. There are only 3 companies who were able to submit the bid though there are many companies who have participated and suggested various changes in pre-bid meeting.
They were KIGG Systems India Pvt Ltd., Mumbai (Subsidiary of KIGG Ltd. UK), Supreme & Co. Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata (Agent of Zera India Pvt. Ltd. Gujrat), BG Associates, Kolkata (Agent of MTE, Delhi).
When the tenders were opened, it was found that BG Associates has not filled up EMD as per requirement. A concession has been given to them to re-fill the EMD. EMD is such a important criteria in the tender; if not fulfilled properly the tender will be rejected immediately without asking further questions, reports said.
Sources told KPS that there is clause of sample submission within 15 days from the date of opening of the tender failing which the bid will be rejected. Both MTE and Zera have not submitted the sample within time; still they are allowed to participate in the tender.
Sources further said, tendering process is not followed properly. MTE is black listed (for the tendered item) in Gujrat and Rajasthan, so they quoted through their agents. But their black-listing is not considered.
Zera India Pvt Ltd is famous for carteling/Monopoly/Negative marketing. There are number of FIR launched against the company for the same reason, sources further added.
Reports quoted that during the pre-bid meeting, Zera has organised dummy parties. There are some good suggestion for improving the tech specifications of the test bench. One of them is testing of smart metes as JKPDD is now purchasing smart meters. But as Zera does not have this feature they have pressurised through all their dummy parties to JKPDD not to encorporate the feature.
JK PDD has purchased two number Automatic Energy meter test benches from Zera around 2 -3 years back (One for Jammu and one for Srinagar).
“The value of the purchase order was around 4 Cr. Which is 3-4 times the material cost. The order has been finalized to Zera on single party, sources said adding that still the work has not been completed as the lab did not get NABL as yet. The main reason behind this is inferior quality of material supplied by Zera, sources added.
Sources said that JKPDD is thus making a huge loss as the new purchased energy meters cannot be tested and department has to depend on external agencies.
Also, as inferior quality of meters has been purchased, the revenue of the department is hampered and common man is also suffering. Zera also has quoted through their agent so that these past supply problems should not come in picture. KIGG has also supplied their various products in Indian market through their agents before.
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