MCJ’s major projects approved via single bidding in past 2 years

JALANDHAR : BJP-led municipal corporation Jalandhar (MCJ), which is already in a vegetative state since the Congress government came to power in Punjab, may find itself in troubled waters in the coming months, as it has turned out to be a major adapter of single bid through e-tendering.

As the local bodies department led by Navjot Singh Sidhu is striking officials in connection with allotment of civil works on a single bid, HT took a look at some of the major projects that the finance and contract committee (F&CC) of the MCJ has cleared on a single bid.

The data reveals that in past two years, MCJ has allotted five major development projects — street vending policy, geographic information system (GIS), land parcel policy, city development plan and sweeping machine project — which are still in progress, with four allotted to the same company.

Since 2014, the MC allotted four projects to Chandigarh-based Darashaw Pvt Ltd while the sweeping machine project was allotted last year to Delhi-based Lions Services.

Sidhuhadlastweeksuspended four superintendent engineers, SE building and roads (B&R) department Kulvinder Singh, SE PK Goel (Amritsar MC), Pawan Sharma and Dharam Singh (Ludhiana MC) for violating MC laws during the allotment of work.

While the protesting engineers of both of B&R and operation &maintenance (O&M), who are on strike since SE Kulvinder Singh was suspended, have claimed that they are only following the directions issued by local bodies department through notification dated September 18, 2010.