Port Blair, Oct 27: Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray, Member of Parliament along with Office Secretary Mr. SC Bose, met the Chief Secretary, A&N Administration today at evening hours regarding increased rate of EMD from Rs.2000/- to Rs.60,000/- i.e. 5% of the bills for supply of cooked mid-day meals to the students, with the request to consider the existing rate of EMD on tender calls.
In A&N Islands, self Help Groups (50% of BPL families), Registered Mahila Mandal, DWCRA etc are being used to participates for Mid-day meals tenders and supplying Mid-day meals to the schools for students. This poor ladies groups are supplying the mid-day meals since past many years. This ladies groups were supplying quality cooked food efficiently without any complaints and litigations.
But recently, Education department had invited tenders from the above groups by imposing conditions to deposit EMD @ 5 % of Annual conversion cost Enrolment X Rs.8.69 (Pry)/ Rs.10.04 (Up.Pry) X 220 days) by on 28.10.2014. which will come to around Rs.60000 to Rs. 70000 in Rural area and around Rs.1.50 lakhs in Urban area. This off course is beyond the capacity of the poor ladies groups.
MP requested that the old tender procedures to be followed and the due date (2810.2014) for submission of tender may be extended for enabling to submit the tender forms by the self Help Groups, Registered Mahila Mandal, DWCRA etc. along with the EMD of Rs.2000/- drawn from any nationalized bank with the condition that the interest to be accrued.
This matter was also raised by the MP in the LG advisory committee meeting on 18.10.2014.
CS considered the genuine demand and passed direction to retain the existing old system of EMD procedures and to extend the due date for submission of tender.
