Big scam in Telangana green drive
State officials turn blind eye to jacked up tender prices
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-10-07 02:25 GMT
Hyderabad: The ambitious Haritha Haaram project of the Telangana State government to improve greenery in all the 10 districts by planting over 230 crore saplings in three years has hit a roadblock. Tenders being called to procure crores of polythene covers to supply the saplings have become controversial with contractors forming syndicates to bag the contracts for higher prices.
The government had decided to plant 40 lakh saplings per year in each Assembly constituency, totaling 1.20 crore saplings in each constituency in three years. It has constituted Haritha Haaram committees in each district with the joint collector as chairman and officials from Forest and Horticulture departments as members to monitor the tender process. District-wise tenders had been invited to procure polythene covers.
Despite the companies openly forming cartels to bag the contracts for higher prices, the committees have turned a blind eye to check this menace and save public money. The companies, meanwhile, are bagging the contracts by quoting a price band of Rs 195 to Rs 200 per kg.
However in Medak, the committee headed by the Medak joint collector cancelled the tenders thrice to check the contractors’ syndicate and was successful in bringing down the price from Rs 200 per kg to Rs 181 per kg.
Ironically, in Adilabad, the home district of Forest Minister Mr Jogu Ramanna, the contracts were finalised for a higher price of Rs 200 per kg, while it was Rs 191 in Nizamabad. Forest Minister Mr Jogu Ramanna said, “We will re-examine the tendering process and will call for fresh tenders if required.”