Work order without tender process led to huge extra expenditure: Audit report
11 Sep, 2013The Department of Social Welfare of Maharashtra had started had decided to start computer centres in 271 government hostels to impart training in personal development, spoken English, competitive examinations and MSCIT, an Information Technology (IT) literacy course started by Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited (MKCL).
The project was to be finished in three years at a cost of Rs 31 crore and respective work orders were issued to a firm based in Malegaon. However, the audit report, procured through Right to Information (RTI) Act, shows that an aggrieved party approached the Bombay High Court claiming that work order was issued without a resorting to tender process. The procured equipment were kept in safe custody without installing them during the hearing of the case. After the hearing, the high court held that the orders be cancelled and the norm of tender process be followed.
The report states that due to all these complications following the failure of the department to resort to the prescribed tender norms while procurement, an extra expenditure of Rs. 3.57 crore was incurred by the department and lakhs of students were deprived of timely training.