Consult stakeholders before floating any tender: KMC

Kolkata: In a significant stride to avoid delay in tendering, Commissioner Kolkata Municipal Corporation Binod Kumar has issued a circular directing the tender calling authority to consult stakeholders before floating any tender.

The civic body is hopeful that this would give a clear idea to the tendering authority if there are some terms and conditions that make the tender unattractive and infeasible.

The move comes in the wake of multiple instances in the recent past in the KMC when tenders have been cancelled due to insufficient number of bidders. This has happened irrespective of the fact that normal human nature of business dictates that the agencies should compete and try to get more and more works to maximize their turnover and profit.

"The genuine inputs of the stakeholders' consultation should be incorporated in the tender documents to ensure wider participation. If there is some relaxations required for the purpose the approval from the Municipal Commissioner should be taken beforehand," a senior KMC official said.

There has been some occasions when Kolkata Municipal Corporation had to relax qualifying criterion for the purpose of maturing tenders after it had failed initially.

"If stakeholders' are consulted at the outset then delay can be avoided," added the official.

Chairman Board of Administrators, KMC Firhad Hakim has also directed the concerned department that after getting stakeholders' consultation if sufficient number of bidders are not available the matter should be brought to his notice immediately.

The Commissioner has further stated that henceforth in the event of a tender not getting sufficient bidders, the tender calling authority should specifically state the reasons for failing of the bid and whether stakeholders consultation was done.