RTI query reveals Alok Industries was penalised by Ministry of Defence; Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan vendor in Kerala gets empanelled after suppression of facts.

Hindu Business Line: THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Saturday, 20 December 2014.

RTI enquiries have ferreted out documents indicating irregularities in the empanelment of suppliers for school uniform by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Kerala.

Enquiries by RTI activist Gyanesh Sharma revealed that Mumbai-based Alok Industries may have provided falsified information to get empanelled as a vendor.

₹113-cr scheme

Tender SP(2) 42544/2013/ dated 17-08-13 was for empanelment of vendors for supply of two sets of uniform material at ₹200 per pair for 27 lakh students during 2013-14. The tender was worth ₹113 crore.

While the Centre would provide ₹33 crore , the State government would cough up the remaining ₹80 crore.

The tender had already raised controversy with the Left-leaning Kerala State Teachers Association and Student Federation of India alleging a scam.

Their ire was against another Mumbai-based textile firm that was allegedly given special favours to get empanelled. The Director of Public Instructions, Kerala, had denied any wrongdoing.

RTI disclosure

Meanwhile, the RTI activist based in Rajasthan told Business Line that he has written to the official in charge on Alok Industries.

While applying for the tender, the company had suppressed crucial information that would have disqualified it, Sharma said, sharing relevant RTI documents with Business Line.

Tender conditions required that a bidder should not have violated any of the conditions relating to supply of clothes.

It should also not have been blacklisted by any government department or organisation across the country. This needed to be specified on a notarised ₹100 stamp paper.

Accordingly, the company made the declaration on 29-7-2013 signed by Nandakumar Nair, in the capacity of an officer authorised to sign bid on behalf of Alok Industries. It was signed before Natvarlal P Sonchhatra, Notary, Greater Bombay.

Clinching evidence

Sharma has produced Letter No 2408/0219/CA/2007-2008 from the Ministry of Defence, Ordnance Clothing Factory (OCF), Avadi, Chennai, dated 2-1-2008, to demolish the claim.

The letter reveals that an order issued to Alok Industries for the supply of drill cotton was cancelled for delay and the company was barred from bidding for two years.

The letter said: “Since you have failed to supply 64,987 metres of the subject item within the contractual delivery period of 20.12.2007, even after several expeditors from OCF Avadi, the supply order cited at reference is cancelled totally forfeiting the full security deposit amount of 2,44,351 submitted by your firm. Further, limited tender enquiries will not be issued to your firm for two years for the above store from the date of this letter. You are requested to return the original supply order.”