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Flouting the directions of the state government as well as sections of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act, Mangalore University has flaoted a Rs 3 crore marks card tender.
>The university has placed an order for 2.5 lakh marks cards (Rs 123 each) and 20,000 convocation certificates (Rs 128 each) with Near-Field Communication technology from Andhra Pradesh-based Paranjaya Printers. The university floated the tender for a period of five years. The total project cost is over Rs 16 crore.
>In June 2017, the state government had recommended to all universities the use of NFC technology saying it was a safe and secure digilocker option. But following exposes on how certificates were fitted with fake chips, the state government sent another directive to all state universities in November 2017, instructing them to recall all orders made to procure the NFC-fitted marks cards. Yet, Mangalore University went ahead to approve the financial bid worth Rs 3.33 crore (per year) this January for procuring the marks cards and convocation certificates.
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>The NFC technology provides for a microchip fitted anywhere in the marks card and on scanning, it leads to the repository where the students achievements and personal details are uploaded.
>According to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act, the duration between the date of publishing of the tender and the final date of applying for works beyond Rs 2 crore in value, should be at least 30 days. However, according to the tender notification put up by the varsity on a public portal, the tender document was published on the e-procurement platform on September 9, 2017 and the last date for submission of bids was October 12.
>Interestingly, a clause in the tender notification states, "Notwithstanding anything contained in KTPP Act and Rules, the University reserves the right to modify the quantity or cancel the whole tender. The university does not pledge itself to accept the lowest or any tender and also reserves itself the right of accepting the whole or any part of the tender or portion of the quantity offered against any item and the firm shall supply the same at the rate quoted."
>P rof K Byrappa, vice-chancellor, Mangaluru University, said, "The direction from the government came to us on November 13. But, our tender process was completed on October 24. What people are saying about the e-tender dates may be wrong. Weve written to the government saying we have completed the MoU with the third party. If the government asks to cancel it, well do it." |
