NGO releases video of ‘tender setting’

The incident came to light when a member of Arappor Iyakkam, posing as a contractor vying for the bids, entered the premises with a hidden camera on. The video shows a few persons blocking the member of NGO and reciting a phone number to be contacted.

“We received information regarding ‘tender setting’ at the Metrowater office and we went to confirm the wrongdoing. The video recorded during the visit shows some persons standing at the office, preventing contractors who come to drop their bids. They asked us to first meet some persons at a private hotel before submitting their bids,” Jayaram Venkatesan, Convenor of Arappor Iyakkam, said.

Jayaram added that the misappropriation is pertaining to 74 tenders floated to outsource the maintenance of pumping stations. The video circulated by the NGO indicts some important persons.

“This has been happening for the past three days and we visited the Metrowater office on Thursday. As the Metrowater is planning to outsource nearly 200 pumping stations, there is a possibility of huge misappropriation. The officials should cancel the tenders,” he added. Repeated calls to a Metrowater official went unanswered.