Ensure transparency while inviting bids: CVC to govt depts

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) asked all government departments to ensure transparency and fairplay while inviting bid documents or floating tenders for all procurement and contractual works.
The CVC, in a circular, told Chief Vigilance Officers of all government departments and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) to make explicit various selection criteria and avoid ambiguity while framing bid documents to ensure transparency.
"One of the concerns relates to the shortcomings in framing Notice Inviting Tenders (NITs) and bid documents which results in ambiguity and scope for interpretation differently during processing and award of contracts by the organisations," the circular said.
The probity watchdog asked them to make explicit the pre-qualification and evaluation or exclusion criteria, etc, which the organisation wants to adopt so that "basic concept of transparency and interests of equity and fairness are satisfied".

The acceptance or rejection of any bid should not be arbitrary but on justified grounds, as per the laid down specifications, leaving no room for complaints, it said.
The CVC said ambiguity in such documents should be avoided as bidders spend a lot of time and energy besides financial cost, initially, in preparing the bids and, thereafter, in following up with the organisations for submitting various clarifications and presentations.
The CVC's instructions assume significance as it has found ambiguous bidding documents while scrutinising many corruption cases which ultimately led to graft or bribery.
"The directive has to be followed by all. It will ensure fairplay for all bidders and remove the scope of corruption," a CVC official said.