From Our Correspondent
TURA: The Council Coal Monopoly Bidder’s Association (CCMBA) has come down heavily on the Garo Hills District Autonomous Council’s (GHADC’s) alleged irregularities in its short tender notices issued for public interest.
The Association alleged that there are certain anomalies in the short tender notices issued by the GHADC that violated the provisions contained in Sections 7, 8 and 9 of the Council.
CCMBA President, Tenny Dard Marak through a communiqué stated that the GHADC had recently invited tender from interested parties for collection of tax from Nongalbibra-Nengja-Dobu Coal market in South Garo Hills by way of settlement through auction. He informed that the date allotted to register for the auction was only three days from the date of issue of tender notice and not as the prescribed norm of 30 days which contradicted the provisions mentioned in Section 7 (1) of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (Market tax) Regulation, 1970.
Marak maintained that the bidders should be given atleast 30 days to submit their tenders. Sangma also alleged that the GHADC had fixed the registration fees as Rs 500 instead of the the prescribed fee of Rs 15 for Scheduled Tribes /Castes and Rs 30 for others. He stated that according to the short tender notice interested parties were required to deposit as security, ten per cent of the sarkari dak fixed at Rs 18 lakh which again contradicted Section 9 of the regulation where it states that security cannot be ascertained before the bid or offer.
The Association has also accused the GHADC of playing favourites and stated that the tender was issued for parties with vested interests.