Synthetic track hits another roadblock

Tribune News Service

Deepankar Sharda

Chandigarh, July 9

Even before its starts, the project for city’s first synthetic track for athletics hit a major roadblock.

A complaint alleging ‘financial irregularities’, before the opening of the tender for purchasing the synthetic track, is said to have forced the UT Administration to cancel the tender.

A circular in this regard was issued on Friday, which means athletes will have to wait for more time to get a synthetic track. A contractor filed a complaint with the UT Administrator, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and even with the CBI.

“The tender for the construction of a 400m eight-lane synthetic track, including sub-base, in the Sports Complex, Sector 7, is hereby cancelled due to administrative reasons. The tender that was invited on February 22 was to be opened on May 5,” read the circular.

“There’s no question of financial irregularities. We are yet to open financial bid and how can someone allege financial irregularities? The complaint has been filed on assumption basis. The process is going through e-bids and there’s no question of irregularities,” said CB Ojha, Chief Engineer, UT Engineering Department.

However, when asked about the circular confirming ‘cancellation’ of the tender, Ojha said: “The technical bid has been put on hold. We want to give the best and our teams visited Gurgaon, Panchkula and other cities to know about the problems faced by athletes. We are working on giving the best to the athletes and need something good. That’s why the tender has been cancelled. It was decided in the pre-bid meeting”.

Notably, the bid was opened on May 5 and a total of four companies - Advanced Sports Technologies (submitted bid on March 19), M/S Syncotts (submitted bid on April 27), Shiv Naresh Sports Private Limited (submitted bid on April 27) and Sports Facilities CO Pvt Limited (submitted bid on May 5) - had applied. Now, since May 5, experts are toiling hard to complete the procedure for technical bid.

“The committee (on approving the product) is comprised of coaches, IAAF officials and other experts. We will soon restart the bidding process declare,” said Ojha. However, the team failed to find suitable product.

Experts question opening of technical bid

Experts are of the view that if the authorities were not happy with the technical procedure, why they opened the bid earlier and why no specification were checked before floating the tender? “There has to be a clear answer. All this happened following the complaints. The Jammu and Kashmir Government had invited similar tender for the installation of a synthetic track at Sopore and there were clear difference between BOQs of the UT Administration and the J&K Government. The Sopore tender was later withdrawn, but it included three-year maintenance, which the Engineering Department has not mentioned anywhere in this project,” alleged a contractor. However, Ojha claimed it to be assumptions as no financial bid has been opened as of now. Sources said the officials instead refereed BOQs of a neighbouring state Haryana to justify their take.

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