Saryu writes to CM over quality of blankets distributed to poor

Ranchi: Former minister and Janta Dal (U) MLA Saryu Roy has written to chief minister Hemant Soren alleging that the blankets being distributed among the poor in view of prevailing cold weather conditions are of poor quality and the tender process was also not followed properly during allotment of order.
In a letter sent to the CM on Thursday, the MLA has said that orders for supply of as many as 9,20,245 blankets were given to two companies based in Panipat and Dhanbad.He added that the supply should have been completed by Jan 11, but the deadline has not been met.
He said that a number of complaints are also coming regarding quality of the blankets while alleging that the materials have been manufactured in powerlooms even as the tender norms state that they were to be made in handlooms.
Rai said that tender rules states that the blankets would have 70% wool and 30% new polyesters thread, but the supplied materials have 35 to 40% wool and the remaining are of threads from old clothes. He added that the weight of the blankets after washing is also less than 2 kg - the standard fixed in the tender. He said that during the tender process the financial bid was assessed before the technical which is opposite the normal process.
Rai said that last year the blankets were purchased district-wise but the system was centralised at state level in order to improve quality. He also added that the price per blanket was also increased by Rs 75 to Rs 100 in this regard. He alleged that despite the steps the suppliers are not obeying the tender norms. He alleged that according to information the suppliers are providing blankets of two qualities out of which 10 percent are according to the tender conditions so that they could be used as sample for checking.
He requested the CM to get the blankets distributed in rural areas inspected and take legal action in case any wrongdoing is found.
Despite several attempts, the mobile phone of the social welfare department secretary Manoj Kumar was unreachable. An officer of the same department, however, said on condition of anonymity that the administration would look into the matter.