Arappor Iyakkam launches app to stop corruption, to check tender details

CHENNAI: Verifying whether the contractors carry out works as per the tender specifications or not has been made easier as Arappor Iyakkam - an anti-graft organisation - launched a smartphone application in a move to prevent corruption.

Apart from launching the 'Arappor' application, the organisation has also launched a webpage https://tntenders.arappor.org

"In order to monitor and find whether the works executed are as per specifications or not, we need to know the tender specifications. There is no way through which a citizen can access the tender specifications when the work is actually executed because the government’s tender website takes off the tender documents immediately after the tender submission date ends," Jayaram Venkatesan, convenor of Arappor Iyakkam, said.

He added that Arappor volunteers have so far stored more than 36,000 tender documents, which were floated over the last one and half years across more than 60 departments that float tenders on the website www.tntenders.gov.in. Apart from the older tender documents, Jayaram Venkatesan said that new tender documents will be uploaded whenever they are released by the departments.

Explaining the need for the application, the organisation pointed out that the archive link in the tender website is disabled and this seems to be purposefully done in order to ensure that people do not have access to information on tender specifications to question the government about mal-administration and corruption. "Information and transparency are key to fixing accountability and ensuring quality in the execution of government projects as well as cut down corruption."

People can install the smartphone application through Google Playstore. They can also view this information on Arappor’s webpage https://tntenders.arappor.org/. "It will also be available on Apple App Store shortly. We also urge the government through its machinery to adopt and replicate this and ensure to publish the tender specifications both online and at the site of execution, " he urged.

The application has a feature using which a citizen can see tender documents pertaining to her or his locality. Also, citizens can see the department-wise tender documents.

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