The contract of Rs 51, 60,000 for supply of food packets and refreshment for police personnel posted on duty during the recent BRICS summit held in Goa was not tendered. This has been revealed in the documents obtained under the Right to Information Act.
As per the documents the Deputy Superintendent of Police (HQ) South Goa on 7th October issued a notice to six Caterers inviting quotations by 10th October for supply of Lunch, Dinner and Snacks for 5000 police personnel deployed on Bandobast duty for the BRICS summit from 14th to 17th October.
The quotations were invited from Delicious Caterers in Panaji, Amonkar Classic Caterers Bicholim, Noda Caterers Bicholim, Ave Miriam Royal Foods Cortalim, Sharda Classic Margao and Nalini Caterers Margao. On 10th October except Ave Miriam Royal Foods Cortalim the other five contractors submitted their quotations and on 13th October which was the eve of BRICS summit the order was issued for Rs 51, 60,000 to Amonkar Classic Caterers, Bicholim being the lowest quotation.
The rules require that an open tender must be floated for any contract over five lakhs. The government has flouted the law though the dates of BRICS summit were known over six month ago.
Terming the substandard food served to cops deployed at the BRICS summit as prima facie a major food scam, the Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) headed by Retired District Judge A.D.Salkar and comprising of Mr.J.A Keny last week directed the Chief Secretary of Goa to conduct a thorough inquiry and fix responsibility on the defaulting officials. The GHRC also directed that payment to the Bicholim based contractor Amonkar Classic Caterers be withheld pending inquiry into the entire episode.
Adjourning the matter to 2nd of November, the GHRC further directed the Chief Secretary to submit an interim report of the investigation within 10 days.
It was submitted before the GHRC that the contract for a whopping Rs 51, 60,000 given to Amonkar Classic Caterers was illegally sub-let to a road side contractor who clandestinely prepared the food in an open place owned by the police department near the Verna Police Petrol Pump next to the Verna Church Cemetery.
Road side laborers were engaged for cooking the substandard food in most unhygienic condition with water stored in open plastic barrels and used for cooking. With thick bushes and grass all around insects and cockroaches found their way in the food served to the police personnel.
Aires Rodrigues
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