Times of India: Panaji: Wednesday,
October 26, 2016.
The Rs 51
lakh contract for the supply of food packets and refreshments for police posted
on duty during the recent Brics summit at South Goa was not tendered. The
sanction letter to the contractor was issued only on October 13.
According to
documents obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by advocate Aires
Rodrigues, the deputy superintendent of police (HQ), South Goa, on October 7,
issued a notice to six caterers, inviting quotations by October 10 for supply
of lunch, dinner and snacks for 5,000 police personnel deployed for the Brics
summit from October 14-17.
Quotations
were invited from Delicious Caterers, Panaji; Amonkar Classic Caterers,
Bicholim; Noda Caterers, Bicholim; Ave Miriam Royal Foods, Cortalim; Sharda
Classic, Margao and Nalini Caterers, Margao. On October 10, five caterers,
barring Ave Miriam Royal Foods, submitted their quotations. On October 13, just
a day before the summit began, a contract of 51.6 lakh was issued to Amonkar
Classic Caterers, whose quotation was the lowest.
Pointing out
that the rules require that an open tender be floated for any contract valued
at over 5 lakh, Rodrigues questioned why the government flouted the law when
the dates of the Brics summit were known over six months ago.
The Goa State
Human Rights Commission (GSHRC), acting on a complaint of substandard food filed
by Rodrigues last week, directed the chief secretary to conduct an inquiry and
fix responsibility on the defaulting officials. The GSHRC also directed that
payment to the Bicholim-based caterer be withheld pending inquiry into the
entire episode.
Adjourning
the matter for November 2, the commission further directed the chief secretary
to submit an interim report of the investigation within 10 days.
.JPG)
.JPG)
