After the School Education Minister failed to make a satisfactory answer in the procurement of biometric tablets worth Rs 200 crores, the Speaker of Chhattisgarh Legislative assembly ordered an inquiry in the multi-crore crore tablet procurement deal in the Assembly on Monday.
Speaker of the House Charandas Mahant ordered on Monday that enquiry will be made by a parliamentary enquiry committee and names of the members of the committee will be announced soon.
During the question hour ongoing Budget session of Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly, Congress MLA Bastar Lakheswar Baghel raised the issue of financial irregularities that occurred in the procurement of biometric tablets for the schools of Bastar assembly constituency worth Rs 200 crores.
He also asked about the total number of tablets supplied and their present status. The MLA further asked why the biometric tablets supplied to the teachers for digital attendance are not working.
Responding to his queries, School Education Minister Dr Prem Sai Singh Tekam said that biometric tablets were supplied to 411 government primary schools, 181 middle schools, 25 high schools and 26 higher secondary schools in Bastar assembly constituency.
In 2017-18, Rs 11 lakh was spent for procurement of biometric tablets, Rs 61 lakh in 2018-19, Rs 19 lakh in 2019-20, Rs 41 lakh in 2020-21 and Rs 9 lakh in 2021-22. At present, only 7 tables are functional while 636 tablets are out of order, the minister added.
Minister Tekam mentioned in the assembly that the supplier firm has to supply tablets worth Rs 1.41 crores in the Bastar district by 2021. Due to Covid, distribution and supply were hampered. However, as per the contract, the company has to repair the tablets free of cost or have to replace them. It had not happened, and I have seen tablets that were non-repairable, Tekam said. The speaker and the MLA both asked the Minister for the actual price of the tablets.
After the Speaker remained unsatisfied with the Ministers’ answers he announced an enquiry into the whole deal and said a parliamentary committee will be set up to investigate the case. The speaker also asked the Minister to take strict action against the supplier firm and blacklist it.
Meanwhile, MLA Baghel alleged serious irregularities occurring in the procurement of tablets. Mandatory purchase rules were overlooked and violated, he said.
In order to have a purchase deal, participation from three vendors was mandatory. Meanwhile, in the case, only two vendors participated and the contract was awarded, MLA Baghel alleged.
