Bidder alleges ‘serious violations’ in MCG’s waste management tender

The issue revolves around a clause in the MCG’s tender process that explicitly prohibits any two bidding parties from having common ownership interests. However, it was discovered that two private companies participating in the tender were owned by the same individuals, violating this clause

Gurugram: The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Thursday initiated an inquiry following alarming discrepancies found in the tender process for the transportation of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) from secondary collection points to the Bandhwari landfill. The inquiry, now under the purview of the Chief Vigilance Officer, comes after one of the bidders raised concerns regarding the transparency of the process, according to officials.

In Gurugram, waste is transported from secondary collection points to the Bandhwari landfill site. (HT PHOTO)

The issue revolves around a clause in the MCG’s tender process that explicitly prohibits any two bidding parties from having common ownership interests. However, it was discovered that two private companies participating in the tender were owned by the same individuals, violating this clause.

Ajay Malik, General Manager (Operations) of one of the bidding companies, highlighted several discrepancies. “Both companies share a common address, and their lists of creditors include each other’s names. Moreover, both firms used the same email ID for government work experience documentation. This overlap not only represents a conflict of interest but also raises doubts on the fairness of the tendering process,” Malik said.

Malik pointed out the technical qualifications of the agency selected as L1 (lowest bidder) for the tender. “The L1 agency has failed to meet the technical capacity criteria set forth by the MCG. This discrepancy raises further concerns about the validity of the tender process,” he said. Malik also called for a state-wide inquiry into the practices of these two companies, alleging that they have a history of engaging in malpractices. “Such agencies should be debarred and blacklisted from participating in government projects,” he said.

In response to these allegations, MCG Commissioner Narhari Singh Bangar defended the tender process, stating, “The tender was allocated after a thorough examination of all documents and criteria. However, since concerns have been raised, we have marked an inquiry to the Chief Vigilance Officer, who will analyse, evaluate, and verify the claims in accordance with the tender clause.”