SHILLONG, JUNE 13: Opposition National People’s Party (NPP) on Monday demanded CBI inquiry into the alleged anomalies in the supply of PDS sugar in the state beside demanding the resignation of the Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs minister Clement Marak pending the inquiry.
“We demand a CBI inquiry into the issue and pending investigation, the minister concerned should resign from his post,” party spokesperson James K Sangma told reporters at a news conference on Monday.
Meghalaya has been allotted over 1704 metric tons of PDS sugar per month and subsidies rate of Rs 18.50 per kg by the centre government.
Earlier when the levy system was stopped in 2014 due to various irregularities, the centre has asked all state governments to procure sugar from the open market by calling tenders. The cost of sugar at the open market is Rs 45 per kg in which consumers had to pay Rs 20 while the centre is paid Rs 18.50.
This year, the government has allotted the tender to one Beta Edibles Processing Private Limited (BEPPL) which quoted the rate at Rs 54,270 per MT (Rs 54 per kg), which is higher when compared to the first tender allotted to Kendriya Bhandal in 2014, which was at Rs 43,270 per MT.
“This shows that the state government is paying additional amount of Rs 16.77 which when multiply against 1704 MT allotted by the centre comes to around Rs 2.72 crore per month,” James said adding “We demand explanation as to why the BEPPL is given the supply order as such an exorbitant rate.” Interestingly, despite the government paying Rs 16.77, the consumers still have to pay Rs 20 for per kg of sugar.
The NPP leader also alleged that the government in 2014 forced two bidders – Sanna Enterprises and TatyasahebKoreWarna SSK Ltd- which quoted as the first and second lowest bidders at Rs 37,850 and Rs 40,701 per MT, to withdraw from the tender by delaying to finalize the tender.
“Instead the third lowest bidder – Guwahati based Kendriya Bhandar, who quoted the rate at Rs 43,270 per MT was allotted the work,” he said. He alleged that the government has also changed the eligibility criteria when the second tender was called in September 2015, to suit the need of particular parties.
The parties’ participated in the tender include Garden Court Distilleries Private Limited (GCDPL) which quoted the rate at Rs 44,351 per MT, BEPPL at Rs 44,440, SS Food Industries (SSFI) at Rs 44,570 and Dr Frozen Foods Indiar Pvt Limited (DFFIPL) at Rs 45,610.
Sangma informed that one new party (GCDPL) had dropped the tender despite fulfilling all the eligible criteria. The government has tied up hands with BEPPL, SSFI and DFFIPL and when they notice that none of the parties are of their choice, it cancelled the tender with a reason that the rates received for supply of sugar are higher as compared to the rates of 1st tender and issued 3 month extension to Kendriya Bhandar to supply the sugar at 43,270 per MT,” he said.
After November 2015, the government decided to put a condition in the tender which said – “The 1 kg packing unit should be in Meghalaya or nearby for close monitoring of quality, packaging and delivery of sugar.”
“The civil supplies department officials and purchase committee members tied up hands with the officials of these 3 companies and they also do not want any other bidders in the competition and put the said condition in the 3rd tender called on March 2016,” he said.
Sangma said while the first bidder GCDDPL protested on this and insisted for doing away with the amendment in the tender, the department since it favoured the 3 parties have not done any amendments. GCDDPL had participated in the third tender but was technically disqualified due to non- submission of packing unit details.-By Our Reporter
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