A ₹16.67 crore Pune Municipal Corporation tender for mechanised cleaning of stormwater and sewage drains has come under scrutiny after Congress councillors alleged that its conditions were designed to favour a particular contractor. The Standing Committee is scheduled to consider the demand to cancel the tender and invite fresh bids on September 23.
The tender was issued through the civic body’s Vehicle Department for one year of drainage-cleaning services. It requires contractors to provide jetting, suction, hydraulic grab and Champion machines for different cleaning operations. Congress councillors Arvind Shinde and Vaishali Bhalerao have objected to a condition requiring a single bidder to own or have all the machinery available on lease.
According to the allegations reported by Loksatta, combining the equipment requirement in one tender could restrict competition and make the contract favourable to a specific contractor. The councillors have described this as a ‘clubbing’ condition and questioned whether it was introduced to ensure that the work goes to a limited group of contractors.
The machines listed in the tender perform different functions. Jetting equipment is used to wash and clear pipelines, suction machines remove sludge and water, hydraulic grabs lift large waste and Champion machines are used for other cleaning activities. The Congress councillors have argued that the civic administration should assess the need for each machine separately instead of making the availability of all four types a compulsory condition for one bidder.
They have also questioned the estimated cost of the arrangement. The councillors claimed that the required equipment could be purchased for approximately ₹12 crore, while the corporation has proposed spending ₹16.67 crore on hiring the machinery and services for one year. The supplied report does not include an explanation from the municipal administration on how the tender estimate was calculated or why hiring was preferred over purchasing.
Congress has asked the Standing Committee to cancel the existing tender and issue a fresh one after reviewing the eligibility conditions. It has also sought a joint inquiry by officials from the Chief Accounts and Finance Office and the Vigilance Department into the tender conditions, estimated rates and prevailing market prices.
The allegations come as Pune’s drainage system depends on timely removal of silt, water and solid waste from stormwater and sewage networks, particularly during heavy rainfall. The tender’s outcome will therefore determine not only how the civic body spends the allocated amount but also how it organises access to specialised cleaning equipment.
The Standing Committee is expected to take up the matter on September 23. The supplied report does not state whether the committee has accepted the demand for cancellation, whether the tender has already received bids, or whether the Pune Municipal Corporation administration has responded to the allegations.
