Reverse tendering in Andhra housing saves Rs 5,100 crore 

VIJAYAWADA: The reverse tendering by the Housing department for the supply of materials required for construction of houses has reportedly helped the state government save Rs 5,100 crore. Officials, however, say that they cannot come to a conclusion on the exact savings from the reverse tendering as the government has given a free hand to the beneficiaries to pick their choice of commodities.

In the first phase of its housing programme Pedalandariki Illu, under Navaratnalu, the government targets to construct 15.60 lakh houses across the State and the officials completed the reverse tendering for the construction materials. “We have finalised the prices of 14 materials required for the construction of houses. In case a beneficiary takes all the materials for his/her house from the government, the savings will be more than Rs 32,000 per house. However, the beneficiaries are free to make their decision: they can take the material from the government as a whole or to take some kinds of materials or to purchase the whole materials on their own. So, we cannot estimate the exact savings,” Special Chief Secretary (Housing) Ajay Jain told TNIE.

“The village/ward volunteers will visit the beneficiaries, explain about the prices of housing materials and take their choice. The volunteers will have an app on their mobile and they will book the material as per the choice made by the beneficiaries. For instance, if a beneficiary wants to take cement, steel and window frames from the government, then the village volunteer will tick the said items in the app and we will get all the details in the central server,” Jain explained.

Stating that they will not force the beneficiaries to take the materials for which prices are fixed by the government, he said they will place the order based on the choice of beneficiaries. The government finalised the prices for 14 kinds of materials including cement, steel, electrical items, water supply and sanitary items, PVC toilet door frame with shutter, flush door shutters, paints, galvanised steel door frame, window frame with glazed shutter. Sand will be supplied to the beneficiaries free of cost, officials said.