Pondicherry University V-C favoured firm in awarding contract?

A complaint recently filed with the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has alleged that the Vice Chancellor (V-C) of the Pondicherry Central University (PCU), J A K Tareen, favoured a particular firm, by flouting selection norms, in awarding contracts for architecture consultancy for the convention centre (CC) coming up on the campus, causing losses allegedly running into crores.

However, the V-C denied the charges in an interview with Express on Friday, claiming that all decisions were made only after several technical committees cleared the process.

The complaint, filed by politician and activist N Nandhivarman, said the varsity allotted a sum of `46 crore for construction of the convention centre, for which RITES Limited, a government enterprise, was appointed as Project Management Consultants.

However, for the same project, a private firm, Kadri Consultants Private Limited, was roped in as architects. The complaint alleged that the appointment lacked transparency as no tender was called for the selection. Documents accessed by Express revealed that at the meeting of the Building Committee held on June 25, 2009, for which Tareen was the Chairman, it was said that a panel constituted to identify the architectural design for the centre had recommended the adoption of facilities available at the CC in Kashmir University (KU), apart from others, as model for the PCU.

Curiously, instead of inviting tenders to identify the architects, the committee decided to “call” Kadri Limited, which designed the CC in KU, for the briefing. It is pertinent to note that Tareen was the V-C of the KU when the convention centre was completed by the same firm. The committee, at a later meeting “unanimously” decided to “recommend the firm as architects for the project. 

The complaint stated that as per a CVC order of July 2007, tenders were made compulsory for awarding contracts to ensure transparency. This rule was allegedly flouted in selecting the architects leading to additional loss of about Rs 2.30 crore, it said.

The PMC contracts given RITES also attracted adverse reactions, though tender was floated in this case according to a note by the Auditor General’s  (AG) office in September last year, a copy of which is available with Express.