Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 25

It might sound absurd but the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) takes longer time to finalise the tendering process for procurement of fresh ration for its personnel than the period for which it is to be supplied — courtesy red tape.However, the ITBP attributes the delay in procurement of fresh ration, including vegetables, fruits, fresh milk (tetra packs), meat, chicken and eggs, to cumbersome “procedures” that are required to be followed before finalising the tenders.According to sources, the Station Headquarters (SHQ), ITBP, based in Ladakh, issued a notification regarding an e-tender on January 16 this year for procurement of fresh ration for six months (from March 1, 2018 to August 31, 2018) for its 47th Battalion at Rae camp in Samba district.“The tendering process was to be completed in February so that the successful bidder could supply fresh ration from March 1 but it did not happen that resulted in the cancellation of the tender,” a source said.The source claimed the ITBP did the same thing last year when the SHQ had issued three tenders for the supply of fresh ration for six months for the Samba unit.“The first notification was issued on February 23, 2017. The second notification was issued on April 13, 2017,” the source said, adding that the third tender was floated on June 2, 2017. “As per the record available on e-tender website, the tender was not even finalised till August last year and what happened thereafter we don’t know,” the source said, adding, “Complaints were made to the Union Home Ministry as it was not clear whether the ITBP personnel were served fruits and vegetables for the period.” When contacted, Jaipal Yadav, Deputy Inspector General (DIG), ITBP, SHQ, Ladakh, said the finalisation of tenders was delayed because they were bound “to follow the laid down procedures.”“It mandatory for us to follow the procedures for the finalisation of the tendering process. This year, the tender has been cancelled because documents of bidders were incomplete,” the DIG said.He also rejected the allegations that the ITBP personnel remained without fresh ration, vegetables, fruits and meat until the tenders were finalised last year. “The commandant of the unit was authorised to set up a purchase committee to get the fresh ration from local market,” Yadav said while accusing contractors of unleashing this “propaganda.”“These contractors are basically ‘badmash’ (goons). There are adverse reports against them and how can they say that personnel were not getting ration. This is a propaganda,” the DIG said, adding that they also wrote several “false letters” to malign the image of the force.“If we do anything wrong, the audit people will grill us,” he said.

Tender cancelled

The Station Headquarters, ITBP, based in Ladakh, issued a notification regarding an e-tender on January 16 this year for procurement of fresh ration for six months (from March 1, 2018 to August 31, 2018) for its 47th Battalion at Rae camp in Samba district. The tendering process was to be completed in February so but it did not happen that resulted in the cancellation of the tender