Power project tenders to be evaluated at secret locations
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
The Power Division is likely to go for adopting a new strategy in evaluating tenders for its different power plant projects, reports UNB.
Official sources said that under the new policy, all tender proposals for different power plant projects will be evaluated at secret locations in remote areas.
Power Division officials claimed that the new approach is being planned to cut down the time on the tender evaluation. They said lengthy evaluation time ultimately delays other process of a project.
"We're planning to follow the new practice for reducing the time for evaluation," said a top official at the Power Division.
The new approach has already been applied in the recently held evaluation of the 450 MW Bibiyana-1 combined cycle power plant project.
Power Cell, a technical wing of the Power Division, received the tenders on September 30 and its tender evaluation committee (TEC) went into a secret location on the very next day along with all the tender documents and sat for the evaluation job.
In a marathon session, the committee members finished their task of evaluation within just four days, prepared the result of the bidding and returned to the capital on October 4.
Sources said the Power Cell had adopted this practice as per instruction of the Power Ministry. However, when his attention was drawn, Power Cell Director General Mahbub Sarwar-Kainat declined to make any comment on the matter.
Normally, any evaluation committee is formed by the representatives of different departments to maintain transparency and the committee sits in meetings in the office of the tender inviting agency. But this was the first time, a tender evaluation committee met in a secret location.
Experts and potential bidders smell a rat in the move as they feel that it would only create mistrust among the bidders if any evaluation is done in secret location in a remote area.
Many potential bidders of different power projects have already raised questions about the practice saying that this may create a suspicion and mistrust among the prospective bidders.
Because, they said, the participating bidders will have no scope to oversee the activities of the tender evaluation committee.
Secondly, it will give a chance to any vested interest group to manipulate the result of tender evaluation.
Some of the potential bidders said if the new practice is followed in the other projects, it will ultimately reflect the government's inefficiency in dealing with tender related matters in a proper way.
Moreover, adoption of such a practice will give credence to the allegation that law and order situation is getting worse that forced the committee to sit in a secret location.
Official sources said that under the new policy, all tender proposals for different power plant projects will be evaluated at secret locations in remote areas.
Power Division officials claimed that the new approach is being planned to cut down the time on the tender evaluation. They said lengthy evaluation time ultimately delays other process of a project.
"We're planning to follow the new practice for reducing the time for evaluation," said a top official at the Power Division.
The new approach has already been applied in the recently held evaluation of the 450 MW Bibiyana-1 combined cycle power plant project.
Power Cell, a technical wing of the Power Division, received the tenders on September 30 and its tender evaluation committee (TEC) went into a secret location on the very next day along with all the tender documents and sat for the evaluation job.
In a marathon session, the committee members finished their task of evaluation within just four days, prepared the result of the bidding and returned to the capital on October 4.
Sources said the Power Cell had adopted this practice as per instruction of the Power Ministry. However, when his attention was drawn, Power Cell Director General Mahbub Sarwar-Kainat declined to make any comment on the matter.
Normally, any evaluation committee is formed by the representatives of different departments to maintain transparency and the committee sits in meetings in the office of the tender inviting agency. But this was the first time, a tender evaluation committee met in a secret location.
Experts and potential bidders smell a rat in the move as they feel that it would only create mistrust among the bidders if any evaluation is done in secret location in a remote area.
Many potential bidders of different power projects have already raised questions about the practice saying that this may create a suspicion and mistrust among the prospective bidders.
Because, they said, the participating bidders will have no scope to oversee the activities of the tender evaluation committee.
Secondly, it will give a chance to any vested interest group to manipulate the result of tender evaluation.
Some of the potential bidders said if the new practice is followed in the other projects, it will ultimately reflect the government's inefficiency in dealing with tender related matters in a proper way.
Moreover, adoption of such a practice will give credence to the allegation that law and order situation is getting worse that forced the committee to sit in a secret location.