DNA: Mumbai: Wednesday, September 27, 2017.
The Mumbai
Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), which is executing the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro-3
underground corridor, has hit another controversy in appointing a private PR
agency without floating any e-tenders despite the state and central government
making it mandatory to conduct an e-tender for projects more than Rs 3 lakh and
Rs 2 lakh to maintain transparency.
Documents
accessed by DNA under the Right To Information (RTI), Act, 2005, reveals that
MMRC-appointed Genesis Burson-Marsteller, a public relations agency, to handle
media and communications for MMRC by calling quotations and not conducting
e-tendering process for the appointment. However, MMRC claims there was no
breach of transparency in the appointment of the PR firm.
A Government
Resolution (GR) by the Government of Maharashtra's General Administration
Department (GAD) dated December 18, 2014, mandates conduct e-tendering process
for every purchase above Rs 3 lakh.
However,
according to the work order issued by MMRC to Genesis Burson-Marsteller, the
appointment of the particular agency was of Rs 71.04 lakh, that is Rs 5.92 lakh
per month for a period from April 2017 to March 2018.
The MMRC
claimed that as it is jointly owned by the Government of India (GoI) and
Government of Maharashtra (GoM), the procurement process followed is in
conformity with GoI guidelines in respective fields.
"The PR
agency under reference has been appointed by following the due process allowed
under Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) guidelines to
procure similar services," said R Ramana, executive director (planning),
MMRC who awarded the contract.
"The PR
and Media content management services being a specialised area, the agency's
experience, capabilities to provide the required services and their approach
and strategy are the primary consideration apart from financials. In the entire
process there is no breach of transparency," Ramana added.
However,
according to the norms of Expenditure Department of GOI, e-tendering should be
done for every purchase that is above Rs 2 lakh.
Asked about
the same, MMRC did not reply to the particular query. An email sent to Ashwini
Bhide, Managing Director, MMRC and Genesis Burson-Marsteller did not elicit any
response till the time of going to the press.
No
response
As per the
norms of GoI’s Expenditure Department, e-tendering needs to be done for
purchases above Rs 2L
Asked about
it, MMRC did not respond to the particular question
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