Steel sheets – was the bid security forfeited?

Oct 03, 2021 Letters

Dear Editor,

Reference is made to “Agri. Ministry may have foiled a plan to exploit a well-known loophole” by Robin Singh (Oct. 2). With regards to the sheet piling contract, the initial bid was below the engineer’s estimate. But attempts were made to award it at some $40 million more to a contractor who is renting his premises to a senior official of the Ministry.
When steel prices increased, this contractor withdrew from the contract that was already awarded by cabinet to him. Standard protocol required that the bid security be forfeited to the benefit of the state. Since Mr. Robin Singh is so familiar with aspects of the tender, can he please tell us what happened to the bid security of this award? Further, the contract is a fixed price contract for order of sheet piles. There is no room for a contractor to ask for variations based on escalation of prices in world market. Is Robin Singh trying to defend the indefensible? Is he trying to salvage a lost ship?
Instead of giving justification for re-tendering, wouldn’t his time and energy be better served to look at allegations of fraud being perpetuated in that and other ministries, and give guidance to restoring integrity and decency in governance that had existed under the Jagans? May I suggest he talks to staff in this and other ministries to find out the level of approval of performance of ministers? If approval among staff at Agriculture is above 10 percent, I will concede Robin Singh is right.

Yours truly,
Jillian Adams

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