Contractors accuse NABARD of alloting tender to politico’s kin

It is said that the allocation of the tender for the particular road work was scheduled to be announced on Tuesday. However, when a few contractors approached the office of the NABARD Superintendent Engineer located at Subramaniapuram in Tiruchy on Tuesday, they were told that the tender had already been allotted to a contractor. Shocked over this, the contractors decided to stage a protest. On information, the police rushed to the spot and conducted inquiry. 

“We were told that we would be communicated about the tender when it gets finalised, but we did not any intimation. When inquired at the office in person, the officials told us that our applications were rejected since quality control certificate was not attached,” said Palaniappan, one of the contractors.

Citing the order of Madras High Court’s Madurai bench, he said it is not necessary to attach quality control certificate along with the application, but the officials rejected our applications only to favour someone. “We will approach the court again for this,” Palaniappan he said. 

The contractors alleged that this was not the first time their tender applications were rejected. A road work project to the tune of Rs 2.50 crore dated January 9, another project worth Rs 5.50 crore for Maniampallam and Vaniampatti dated January 21, one more road project for Sengamedu and Manamedu to the tune of Rs 3.50 crore dated February 9 were some of the projects they were denied participation.

The officials support the kin of politicians and the common contractors are not entertained, they blamed. And this particular project has been allotted to Chinnathambi, father of Health Minister C Vijyabaskar. Attempts to contact Superintending Engineer M Vijaya went futile.