Debar Tata Projects from participating in tender process of OPTCL: Bijuli Karmachari Sangha

Bhubaneswar, Sep 28: Bijuli Karmachari Sangha of Odisha State Electricity Board (OSEB) demanded to debar Tata Projects Limited from participating in the tender process of state-run Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL). It alleged that favouritism of some group of officers shown to the company will derail the schemes of OPTCL to provide quality and uninterrupted power supply to consumers. The Sangha alleged that some senior officials of the Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL) are showing unnecessary favour for the benefit of the company misusing their power, which will incur loss to consumers and the state government as well. The association demanded action against the officers involved in the corruption. Without performance eligibility of 30 points some directors of OPTCL have favoured TATA Projects to participate in new tender process. The company was earlier debarred from tender process for six months, the Sangha said. The directors under scanner are making bypass ways on technical grounds to favour the company on technical grounds. The Sangha has raised question on the suspicious activities of some senior officials and directors and sought intervention of Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, 5T Secretary VK Pandian and the Department’s concerned authorities in the matter. The company is compromising in quality of work and not completing the projects in time, the Sangha complained adding that its tender process is also under scanner for flouting prescribed guidelines to show favouritism to a certain company. The Balimunda Grid substation, Kiakata Grid substation and Duspalla Grid substation work tenders have been awarded to TATA Projects Limited. However, only 20 percent work has been completed so far due to delay in construction work and company’s apathetic attitude, the Sangha complained. The company authorities are neither obeying department’s directives nor working in cooperation with the OPTCL, it added. The union has alleged massive corruption in the tender for a 400/220 KV gas insulated grid substation and line construction contract work in Ersama-Paradip. Some OPTCL officials have forged to include Tata Projects in the tender. Tata Power, which was debarred to participate in the tendering process in January last year, was awarded an eligibility certificate a few days ago. By throwing all the rules to the window, some corrupt officers of OPTCL have again hampered the interests of the state. Notably, all the major industrial projects to be set up in the Paradip Industrial Zone by 2023 will be connected to the grid substation project.