‘Ring’ Suspected in Cleaning Tender; Sandeep Waghere Demands Probe, Re-Tender
PIMPRI : NCP corporator Sandeep Waghere has demanded that the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) cancel the tender process for road and drain cleaning works in various regional offices and invite fresh tenders through an open, transparent and competitive process.
Waghere submitted a representation to the Municipal Commissioner after the tender process was completed on Thursday, raising concerns over the possibility of collusion or a ‘ring’ among bidders. He said the issue involves significant public expenditure and directly affects both the civic body’s finances and the city’s sanitation system.
According to Waghere, merely completing the tender process technically is not sufficient. The civic administration must establish whether genuine and effective competition actually took place among the bidders.
Seek scrutiny of bidders and financial bids
Waghere has sought an independent and objective examination of the available tender records, bidder details, financial bids and other indicators to determine whether there was genuine competition.
He has specifically demanded scrutiny of factors such as common addresses, contact numbers, email IDs, authorised representatives, similarities in documents or their wording, digital and technical indicators, and business links between bidders.
The financial bids should also be examined for unusual similarities, apparently pre-determined bids or any indications of artificial competition, he said.
Halt further action pending verification
Waghere has urged the competent authority to consider keeping further action related to tender approval, acceptance or issuance of work orders on hold, subject to applicable rules, until the allegations and concerns are objectively examined.
He said that if the scrutiny finds that there was no genuine and broad-based competition or that bidders had colluded, the existing tender process should be cancelled in accordance with government rules and e-tendering provisions, followed by a fresh tender process.
‘Tender conditions should not favour specific contractor’
Waghere also demanded that, while inviting fresh tenders, the terms and conditions should not favour any particular contractor or a limited group. He called for wider publicity of the tender to encourage participation from the maximum number of eligible and independent bidders, ensuring that PCMC receives competitive and financially beneficial rates.
“Our objective is not to make allegations against any particular bidder, but to protect public funds, ensure genuine competition and transparency, and maintain citizens’ confidence in the tendering process. If serious doubts have arisen regarding the process, they must be impartially verified,” Waghere said.
He urged the civic administration to take the matter seriously and conduct the necessary scrutiny. If irregularities are established, he demanded cancellation of the tender and a fresh process through a transparent and competitive mechanism.
