MARGAO
The fishy 10-year “fishing business” experience clause inserted in the South Goa Planning and Development Authority's (SGPDA) Rs 3.88 crore wholesale fish market sopo fee collection tender may be finally out of the tender conditions.
However the controversial clause is expected to further delay the awarding of sopo collection fee tender to the prospective bidder by at least two months.
If SGPDA Chairman, MLA Krishna Daji Salkar is to be believed, the Town and Country Planning Department has conveyed to the PDA to delete the 10-year fishing business experience clause from the sopo collection tender conditions.
In fact, the SGDPA was scheduled to take a call on the fate of the Rs 3.88 crore sopo fee collection tender on Friday in the event the government does not relax the controversial condition. The SGPDA Chairman, however, told The Goan on Friday that the TCP has agreed to relax the 10-year experience clause, saying the decision would pay the way for the SGPDA to float a fresh tender minus the controversial condition.
“The SGPDA will now float a fresh e-tender inviting bids from prospective bidders to participate in the sopo fee collection tender. We expect the bidders to submit their bids as and when the PDA floats the e-tender,” Salkar said.
The controversial 10-year fishing business clause inserted in the e-tender had evoked a host of queries from prospective bidders, with bidders raising questions as to what the fishing business has got to do with the collection of market sopo fees and the maintenance of the market.
In fact, taking cognizance of the sentiments of the bidders, the SGPDA had dashed off a letter to the Town and Country Planning Department, with a plea to relax the controversial 10-year fishing business experience clause. The plea, however, had found no favour with the TCP with the planning body rejecting the SGPDA request.
There seems to be a turnaround now with the PDA Chairman Salkar saying the TCP has finally agreed to relax the clause for the bidders to become eligible to participate in the bid.
The entire tendering process, however, is expected to result in further delay. The SGPDA had floated the tender in September last with the last date for the submission of bid documents scheduled on September 18.
Three months have already been lost in the tendering process so far. And, with the TCP agreeing to shelve the 10 years fishing business experience clause, sources say it may take time for the PDA to float a fresh e-tender inviting bids from prospective bidders before shortlisting the bidders.
