E-Paper
Health dept inflating tender costs for cleanliness works: AAP
Vijay Kumbhar, State unit vice president of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), voiced several objections to the medical education spending
Vijay Kumbhar, State unit vice president of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), voiced several objections to the medical education spending, pointing out how the administration had floated tenders above expected costs for various activities in recent months.
“The Medical Education Department floated three tenders between July and November 2023,” Kumbhar told the press.
“These are for Ratnagiri and Kolhapur Medical Colleges, and the quoted rates for the development are exorbitant. Even the toilet size is represented to be unusually large, which is not conceivable. The rates are fabricated and are 11 to 71 per cent higher than the expected cost,” he continued.
Kumbhar said, “While floating the tender for Ratnagiri College, the rates were ₹4 per metre for constructed areas, ₹2 per square metre for toilets, and ₹1 per open spaces. But the same department had called the tender for Kolhapur College where rates are quoted at ₹42 for the constructed area, ₹2 per meter for open areas, and ₹71 for toilets. It shows that the rates are fabricated at various locations.”
The Health Department has floated these tenders for a combined cost of ₹5.82 crore, while as per the AAP party’s calculations, the expected expenses on the ground were ₹79.66 lakh. It shows that the administration inflated the tender cost and caused losses to the government.
Despite our several attempts, State Health Minister Tanaji Sawant remained unavailable for comment on the issue.
Kumbhar demanded, “The Chief Minister and the State Government must conduct an in-depth investigation in such cases. These are simply three of the cases that we evaluated. There have been prior tenders where such exaggerated estimated costs have been quoted.”
