Over two weeks after floating their first tender for winter school uniforms, government schools have failed to get adequate response from suppliers.
While schools require at least four bids in order to open the tenders, many have not even received one bid.
Satpal Singh, the headmaster of Government High School, Sector 11, said the school had set September 5 as deadline for receiving bids, but no response was forthcoming.
Government Model High School, Sector 34, whose deadline for bids September 8, GSSS-Manimajra Town, (August 28), GHS-38 (September 3), GHS-11, GHS-41 and GMHS-38 (September 5) have yet to get any response.
Schools had also faced a similar hurdle earlier this year when they failed to get adequate response despite floating three tenders, which led to a delay in distributingsummer school uniforms.
department looking for way out
Meanwhile, it may seem that the education department has learnt its lesson this time. Even while schools have been directed to float a second tender, the department is likely to float a centralised tender on behalf of schools that fail to get a response in their first attempt.
Sources in the department said the decision has been taken for the convenience of uniform suppliers, who were reportedly facing problems in coping with varied deadlines.
{{/usCountry}}Sources in the department said the decision has been taken for the convenience of uniform suppliers, who were reportedly facing problems in coping with varied deadlines.
{{/usCountry}}“Fixing a common date will make it easier for suppliers to approach schools. This will help avoid confusion. We hope the response of suppliers would be better to our centralised tender,” said a senior official of the department.
Meanwhile, despite the dismal response to the first tender, department officials are hopeful of procuring uniforms before the season begins.
DPI (s) Kamlesh Kumar said,”Schools still have enough time to procure thewinter uniform. We will try to procure uniforms before November.”
The procurement rates for winter uniforms this year are the same as last year: the upper ceiling will be Rs 350 per set for Classes 1 to 5 and Rs 425 per set for Classes 6 to 8.
Winter uniforms comprise full-sleeve shirt and pant for boys and shirt and tunic for girls.
Chandigarh has over one lakh students studying in 106 government schools.
The Right to Education Act, 2009, mandates government schools to provide free school uniforms for students till Class 8.