Employed to take care of wheat inventory, pvt agency acquired ‘undue advantages’
Ruchika M Khanna
Chandigarh, January 27
A personal agency (Origo Commodities) employed by earlier governments to protect and safe foodgrain shares reportedly acquired undue extensions for years even after expiration of its first contract. Later, when Origo was awarded the contract for a second time, it was paid crores of rupees greater than different companies.
Whereas different companies acquired the contract for preservation and safety of wheat inventory at Rs 18.10 per metric tonnes, Origo was paid Rs 27.50 per metric tonnes. Consequently, the Meals and Provide Division ended up paying Rs 32 crore every year extra.
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We now have requested our workers to take management of all of the godowns and foodgrain shares, maintained by Origo Commodities by January 28. Employees of personal agency has left the foodgrain unattended. —Rahul Bhandari, Principal Secretary, Meals & Provides Dept
Rahul Bhandari, Principal Secretary, Meals and Provides Division, stated, “We now have requested our workers to take management of all of the godowns and foodgrain shares, maintained by Origo Commodities by January 28. The workers of personal agency has left the inventory unattended.” He added that the precise inventory in godowns was lower than talked about by Origo. He stated that they had already floated contemporary tenders.
“Technical bids are being examined. Until then, our workers can be sustaining the shares,” he added.
Origo was awarded the contract in the course of the Akali-BJP authorities and the contract resulted in 2016. Nonetheless, from 2016-2019, the time period was prolonged and no contemporary bids have been known as, allegedly on the pretext that lakhs of tonnes of foodgrain could be mismanaged in the course of the change. In 2019, the tender for 42 lakh metric tonnes of foodgrain was known as.
Paperwork accessible with The Tribune present that some homeowners of godowns constructed below Non-public Entrepreneurs Assure Scheme acquired the contract for 13 lakh metric tonnes for Rs 18.10 per metric tonne. Initially, Origo was additionally awarded the contract on the similar price.
“Nonetheless, when the tender was refloated for 30 lakh metric tonnes of foodgrain, Origo and its sister-concern was re-hired for Rs 27.50 per metric tonnes,” stated a senior official.
Notably, the paperwork present that two companies which cleared the technical bid stage had Origo as its mum or dad firm.
“As per pointers of the Central Vigilance Fee, these bids ought to have been rejected. Nonetheless, the contract was awarded for 3 years. Even now, Origo made all efforts to get the contract prolonged, however the authorities determined to finish the pact,” stated a senior official.
In the meantime, a senior official of Origo on situation of anonymity stated, “Our contract ended on December 31 final. Although there was a clause to increase the contract, we didn’t search any extension. No authorities favoured us and we bagged the contract in 2019 by means of a young. There isn’t a shortfall in foodgrain shares managed by us.”