Committee takes objection to BDA not submitting tenders worth over ₹600 crore for scrutiny

A file photo of Dr. Shivaram Karanth Layout developed by the BDA in Bengaluru.
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The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) recently issued two tenders for electrical works in Dr. Shivaram Karanth Layout together worth ₹669.32 crore without passing it through the State Pre-Tender Scrutiny Committee, to which the committee has now taken objection. This is only the latest instance of tenders worth over ₹50 crore not being submitted for scrutiny. 

Following allegations of widespread corruption of “40% commission” in State government contracts, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai instituted the State Pre-Tender Scrutiny Committee for all tenders over ₹50 crore in December 2021.

Several instances

Retired high court judge Rathnakala, chairperson of the committee, in her letter to Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma, a copy of which is available with The Hindu, not only flagged the recent case of BDA tenders but also listed several past instances when tenders over ₹50 crore were issued without submitting them to the committee beforehand.

“Tenders pertaining to rural water supply, Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam, municipal administration, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, and the Department of Ports had earlier published their tenders of over ₹50-crore value on the Karnataka Public Procurement portal, without submitting the same for scrutiny by this committee,” the letter stated.

No mandatory field

The letter also flagged the delay in the E-Governance Department incorporating a mandatory field in the Karnataka Public Procurement portal for a unique scrutiny committee code for all tenders above ₹50 crore.

“We requested the E-Governance Department for this unique scrutiny committee code to be incorporated into the software. But they said it will take some time and it has been over a year now and it hasn’t materialised yet. Such a code will make uploading any tender above ₹50 crore on the portal impossible without the scrutiny code,” Ms. Rathnakala told The Hindu. “But for this small tweak in the software, everything else is in place,” she said.

Tenders withdrawn

Ms. Rathnakala said that following her letter to the Chief Secretary, the BDA withdrew the two tenders and submitted them for scrutiny before the committee. In a letter to Ms. Rathnakala, the Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development Department, has said the department had taken the lapse seriously and directed the BDA Commissioner to take disciplinary action against the officials responsible for it.