Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday asked the Roads and Buildings department to cancel the tender process and invite bids afresh to ensure total transparency. The Jagan Mohan Reddy government proposed to take up road development works worth Rs 6,400 crore in the state with a 70 per cent loan from the New Development Bank (NDB).
In the first phase, tenders were invited for works in 13 packages with an estimated cost of Rs 2,978 crore. In the 13 districts in the state, a total of 25 bids were received for the works.
The standard bidding document of the World Bank was taken as the standard while preparing the tender document here and the entire process was taken up with the approval of NDB, top official sources said. “Everything is based on a tripartite agreement between the AP government, the Union Department of Economic Affairs and the NDB.
Even the statutory Judicial Preview Commission cleared the tender documents,” the sources said. As per the agreement, the state government was required to complete award of at least 30 per cent of works by September 30, failing which the NDB could withdraw the loan.
In spite of this, the Chief Minister decided to cancel the tenders and invite them afresh to ensure total transparency, the sources added. Transport, Roads and Buildings Department Principal Secretary M T Krishna Babu told reporters that they have now requested the Centre to extend the September 30 deadline by another 45 days.
“We have apprised the Centre about the circumstances in which we took the decision. They have agreed to give us extra time but asked to complete the process fast,” Babu said.
He said there was poor response to the tenders floated now though many firms apparently had eligibility. “The Chief Minister has asked us to give it one more try to see that more bidders participate in the process.
He was particular about the government’s image and transparency, leaving no room for any suspicions or allegations,” the Principal Secretary added.
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