Contract for transportation of rice without fresh tenders has caused loss: SC raps Manipur

The Supreme Court Friday rapped the Manipur government over the award of contract for transportation of rice and said continuing the process without any fresh tenders and by way of an interim arrangement has caused tremendous loss to the State and the Public Exchequer.

The Supreme Court Friday rapped the Manipur government over the award of contract for transportation of rice and said continuing the process without any fresh tenders and by way of an interim arrangement has caused tremendous loss to the State and the Public Exchequer. A bench of Justices M R Shah and A S Bopanna directed the Manipur government and the Director of Social Welfare to issue a fresh Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) for appointment of transport contractor under Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP), within 10 days from today.

It also directed that the fresh NIT is conducted in a fair and transparent manner through e-Tender and invitation of the fresh NIT shall be nation-wide and it is the duty of the State/concerned Department to see that there is no cartel by the contractors and that the maximum price is received and there is no loss to the Public Exchequer and the State. The top court said this is a glaring example of lethargy on the part of the State Government in not inviting the fresh tenders for transporting Rice & other micronutrients under the Wheat Based Nutrition Programme (WBNP), from Food Corporation of India's depots in the State of Manipur to the offices of Child Development Project Officers.

''To continue with the contracts for the transportation of rice and other micronutrients within the State without any fresh tenders and by way of an interim arrangement only and at the rates which were prevailing in the year 2017-18 has caused tremendous/huge loss to the State and the Public Exchequer,'' the bench said.

The apex court also directed that the entire tender process be completed within six weeks from the date of issuance of the e-Tender. ''In the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case and only with a view to see that there is no inconvenience caused to the beneficiaries, the directions issued by the High Court relating to the transportation of goods under Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) in the impugned order/interim order dated December 19, 2018, is directed to be continued till December 31, 2021. ''The State of Manipur is directed to submit a compliance report before this Court. Any lapse on the part of the State and/or its departments and non-compliance of the present order shall be viewed very seriously,'' the bench said.

The top court was hearing a plea filed by B K Enterprises challenging the Manipur high court order with regard to the award of the tender. PTI PKS RKS RKS

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