MARGAO: As per the schedule of the ₹3.88 crore e-tender floated by the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) for the collection of sopo fees in the wholesale fish market, the last date of opening of the technical bid was scheduled at 3 pm on Friday.
For, the last date and time of submission of the bid documents was scheduled up to 3 pm on September 18.
But, with the bidders and the SGPDA expressing strong reservations over the clause that the bidders should have experience in the fishing business/ activities for at least 10 years, the fate of the e-tender hangs in balance.
For, the SGPDA at its emergency meeting held last week had taken a call to represent before the government to relax the clause the fishing business clause since it has no relevance with the job of collection of sopo fees.
When The Goan called up the SGPDA Chairman, Krishna Daji Salkar to find out whether the PDA will open the technical bid on Friday evening as per the e-tender schedule, the PDA head said the Planning body has made a representation to the government to take a call on the decision to relax the fishing business clause, indicating that the tender process is unlikely to move forward at least for the moment.
Awaiting government's decision on fishing business clause
In fact, the PDA chairman was categorical in saying that the PDA would wait for the government’s decision for a fortnight before taking a call to go ahead with the e-tendering process. “We will wait for the government to decide on the PDA request to relax the fishing business clause. If the government does not take a decision, the PDA will go ahead with the e-tender process”, he said.
Salkar asserted that the PDA has taken the stand on the fishing business/ activities clause for the simple reason that the bidders at the pre-bid meeting had raised objections to the fishing business clause when the tender is intended to collect the sopo fees and maintenance of the wholesale fish market.
What’s, however, interesting to note is that the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Board had its meeting on Thursday. PDA, officials, however, pointed out that the representation made by the Planning body to take a call on the fishing business/ activities clause in the sopo tender did not find a mention at the meeting, leaving officials to keep their fingers crossed how to go about with the tendering process.
A glance at the tender conditions reveals that the PDA had inserted a host of conditions in the e-tender, including the mandatory condition that the agency must have minimum 2-year experience of sopo collection, maintenance and revenue collection of market within the State of Goa.
Agency must indulge in fishing business & activities for 10 years
This has been followed by the controversial condition that the agency should have fishing business/ activities for at least 10 years with a turnover of ₹1.5 cr and above. “We fail to understand what has a sopo fee collection tender got to do with fishing business and activities. That the tender condition mandates that the agency should have fishing business/ activities and that for 10 years with a turnover of ₹1.5 crore is indeed surprising. We have made our stand very clear to the SGPDA. Let us wait and see whether the government would relax the clause as per the SGPDA’s request,” remarked a prospective bidder.
E-TENDER SCHEDULE
* The date and time of pre bid meeting/conference was on 04/09/2023 at 11 am
* The last date and time of submission of bid documents was 18/09/2023 upto 3 pm
* The last date of opening of technical bid is 22/09/2023 at 3 pm
Tender conditions
(i) The contractor/agency must have executed work of sopo collection or maintenance and revenue collection of market within the State of Goa. The certificate shall be duly signed by an authorised signatory of the Client Departments/ Corporations/ Autonomous Bodies/ Local Authorities, etc. Certificates signed by unauthorised signatory of Client Departments/ Corporations/ Autonomous Bodies/ Local Authorities etc shall be summarily rejected leading to disqualification
(ii) Have an established and demonstrated track record of rendering all of the following services: Maintenance and Levy collection of Sopo in State Govt Department/ Autonomous bodies /Public Sector Undertaking Corporations, Client Departments/ Local Authorities and Corporations
(iii) Have sufficient number of employees for tendered work and shall also employ experienced housekeeping personnel for maintenance of market. An undertaking (notarised) in this regard shall be submitted on stamp paper of ₹100
(iv) The agency shall have an office in Goa. Details of address shall be provided to the Authority for all communication along with email Id and telephone/ Mobile No. etc
(v) The agency must have minimum 2-year experience of Sopo Collection, Maintenance and Revenue Collection of Market within the State of Goa
(vi) The Agency should have fishing business/ activities for at least 10 years with a turnover of ₹1.5 cr and above
