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Following criticism that the tender conditions to run the Ghazipur slaughterhouse only favoured big players, the East MCD has relaxed the criteria for hiring a new contractor and floated a fresh tender, The Indian Express has learnt.
The civic body, which runs the 25-acre facility near NH-24, had closed the slaughterhouse in the last week of March amid the pandemic. The abattoir was also closed because the contract of the company that carries out slaughter had ended.
Sources said East Delhi BJP MP Gautam Gambhir intervened in the matter and held a meeting with councillors and senior EDMC leaders, asking them to invite fresh tenders that are more inclusive, instead of giving extension to the same company.
The 10-year lease period of the firm running the slaughterhouse, Frigorifico Allana Pvt Ltd, had expired in August 2019. The EDMC floated a tender twice, in September 2018 and July 2019, but no other firm came forward. This led to the company being given extensions twice. Last week, it was provided a third extension after which AAP leaders in the MCD alleged that due process was not being followed.
“I looked into the issue to ensure maximum participation. Extension without a transparent system should not happen; a new tender is being raised. This will lead to EDMC earning more,” Gambhir told The Indian Express.
Revisions in the tender include a condition that the bidding company needs to only have an annual profit share of Rs 6 crore, against earlier criteria of Rs 40 crore. EDMC Mayor Nirmal Jain said, “Performance guarantee which was kept at Rs 40 crore has been reduced to a royalty fee of just six months. Besides, the clause that the bidding company should have experience of running a rendering plant is not needed.”
A senior official from Frigorifico Allana said, “We never stopped anyone from bidding… The company has run the slaughterhouse all these years smoothly, following all norms.”
EDMC commissioner Dilraj Kaur did not respond to calls and messages seeking a comment. |
