The voter ID card project is bracing for delays after what appears to be the first major irregularity detected in public procurement since the current caretaker government (CG) took over, reports bdnews24.com.
The Election Commission (EC) needs 8,000 laptop computers for the project and so solicited bids way back in June. The lowest bidder did not get the work order, kicking off trouble.
The EC thought it appropriate to award the deal to the second lowest bidder, which came more than one million dollars costlier, according to documents obtained by the news agency.
Acting on a formal complaint from the lowest bidder, the government's procurement watchdog has ruled that the EC decision flouted guidelines. A second round of bidding has since been ordered, fuelling fears of delay in getting the voters listed.
But the project's new head says he is not worried.
Of the eight offers received, only two were initially found responsive when bids came in response to the June 7 tender.
Thakral Information Systems offered Lenovo (formerly IBM) laptops at $5,529,800 while Telecommunication Consultants India (TCIL) quoted $6,644,728 for Dell laptops.
The EC chose TCIL's Dell, $1,114,928 (Tk 7.8 crore) costlier than Thakral's Lenovo.
The commission's bid evaluators declared Thakral non-responsive bypassing the rule, making TCIL the only bidder in the country's largest ever personal computer procurement.
Takral formally lodged complaint with the Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU), of the Planning Ministry, which enforces the public procurement regulation (PPR-2003).
Voter ID card project hits snag
FE Team | Published: September 16, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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