C'garh: Cong alleges irregularities in lab materials purchase

There was an uproar in the Chhattisgarh Assembly today over alleged irregularities in the procurement of lab equipment for high-school and higher- secondary schools.
Congress MLAs demanded an inquiry into the irregularities and the credentials of suppliers. School Education Minister Kedar Kashyap rejected the demand, so the Congress MLAs staged a walkout.
The issue was raised by Congress legislators Brihaspat Singh, Mohan Markam and Motilal Dewangan through a calling attention motion.
They said that the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) issued a tender for purchase of lab equipment and materials worth Rs 10 crore on December 25, 2015, but it was published in newspapers on December 30.

To make the tendering process online, it was uploaded on departmental website on January 1 where the last date for submission of bid was notified asJanuary 20, whereas, as per Store Purchase Rules, 45 days interval is mandatory, they said.
Most of 261 materials for which tender was floated were not needed, they said, but purchases were made saying that otherwise the budgetary allocation would lapse.
The DPI does not have a technical team to initiate rate contract process, they alleged.
Education Minister Kashyap said the list of materials and equipment had been prepared by experts and a competent purchase committee had been constituted in DPI which had members with technical expertise. There was complete transparency, he claimed.