SCB sanitation tender favours one agency

CUTTACK: SCB Medical College and Hospital spends a whopping amount of `9 crores on sanitation service. However, it has been alleged that there has been gross violation of guidelines while issuing tender for the last 20 years. The premier government-run hospital of the State floats tender for sanitation every three years, but for the last 20 years it has been one particular outsourcing agency getting the tender in their favour.

Health and Family Welfare Department guidelines say that outsourcing agencies having annual transaction up to `1 crore in health and government sectors are eligible to apply for the tender. However, in violation of the department guidelines, SCB MCH authorities have raised the annual transaction to `5 crore and for agencies only involved in health sector. 

“The irregularity in floating the tender is being done with malafide intention to restrain other outsourcing agencies and to favour one particular outsourcing agency,” alleged proprietor of an agency having annual transaction of `1 crore. He has been debarred from participating in the tender process and urged a high-level probe.      

“Though the tender price has been hiked four times by October 2021 with the increase of the hospital area to be sanitized, the outsourcing agency has been carrying out the work with the same 400 manpower,” another agency pointed out. Superintendent Lucy Das was not available for comment, but a senior officer said steps would be taken for issuing tender in a transparent manner.