The Hindu: Panaji: Wednesday,
October 26, 2016.
The Rs. 51.60
lakh contract for supply of food and refreshment to police personnel posted for
security at the recently concluded BRICS summit in Goa was not tendered,
according to documents obtained under RTI act by activist lawyer Aires
Rodrigues.
As per the
documents, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (HQ) South Goa had on October 7
issued a notice to six caterers inviting quotations by October 10 for supply of
lunch, dinner and snacks for 5000 police personnel deployed on bandobast duty
for the BRICS summit, held between October 14 to 17.
Pointing out
that the rules require an open tender to be floated for any contract over Rs. 5
lakhs, Mr. Rodrigues questioned why the government flouted the law when the
dates of the Summit were known over six month ago.
The Goa Human
Rights Commission (GHRC), acting upon a complaint filed by Mr. Rodrigues, had
directed the Chief Secretary of Goa last week to conduct a thorough inquiry,
fix responsibility of the “food scam” on the defaulting officials and submit an
interim report of the investigation within 10 days.
It had also
directed that payment to the Bicholim-based contractor, Amonkar Classic
Caterers, be withheld till inquiry into the entire episode is completed.
In his
complaint submitted to the Commission, Mr. Rodrigues had claimed that the
contract given to Amonkar Classic Caterers was illegally sub-let to a road side
contractor who clandestinely prepared the food in an open place owned by the
police department in Verna, South Goa.
As per the
documents, the DSP had issued notices to six caterers inviting quotations by
October 10.
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