GIBA suspects foul play in government tenders

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For a while now, the Goa IT Business
Association (GIBA) has been campaiging against the alleged
discrimination that its members have been facing when it comes to
government tenders. This especially holds true for the government's
Computer Literacy Program (CLP) and Cyberage scheme. href="https://www.dqweek.com/giba-questions-government-on-discrimination-in-tenders">GIBA
is now
alleging that there has been a multi-crore scam in the Department of
Education related to the supply of computers in schools and to
students, under the CLP program and Cyberage scheme respectively.

GIBA has taken the matter up to the
Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI). They have also complained to
the Department of Education, regarding the discrimination being meted
out to partners who have been overlooked despite achieving a turnover
of Rs 5 crore, which is the main eligibility criterion for this
scheme. According to GIBA officebearers, the Department of Education
has flouted the general financial rules applicable to all government
departments, while making large purchases and has further violated
the regulations to favor four IT establishments in the tenders
floated for these schemes.

style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;">“There
were
certain irregularities because it was revealed that while
inviting the tenders for 4,320 computers under the CLP scheme the
turnover criteria fixed for the suppliers was Rs 5 crore while for
the supply of 11,000 computers under the Cyberage (Edunet) scheme the
turnover criteria for suppliers was changed to Rs 4 crore just to
acomodate two suppliers. The same things we have noticed in the new
tender which has now been floated for 22,000 computers. These
conditions have ensured that majority of the dealers have been kept
out of the bidding process,” stated Prashant Kuncloienkar,
President, GIBA.

style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;">According
to
Kuncolienkar, at the time of commercial bids under the Cyberage
tender, which was floated in June 2009, the four IT manufactures had
one rupee difference for the computers as well as the software.

“In spite of the fact that the
Microsoft has not hiked the price of the package by even one dollar
in all these years, the same package is reportedly being supplied to
the government at around three times the original price this year,”
added Kuncolienkar. Tofurther boost his claim he added that
Department of Education had purchased around 2,500 software packages
in the year 2002-03 and currently, the number has gone up to only
12,500, but the price has gone up by almost Rs 5 crore, which is not
possible. Repeated complaints to the state government have fallen on
deaf ears, he added.

The association had also requested the
DOE to evaluate the past performance of the suppliers in terms of
providing after sales service, support and maintenance but to no
avail.