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ICMC Corporation has approached the Madras High Court to quash tenders awarded to three companies for supply of laptops under the free laptop scheme of the Tamil Nadu government.
The company approached the Court against Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Ltd (Elcot) and secretary of IT Department, Tamil Nadu, which looks after the scheme. It also filed petitions against Hewlet-Packard India Sales, Acer India and Lenovo (India), which won the orders.
ICMC Corporation, which is manufacturer of fertilisers and printed and packaging materials with its base in Chennai, along with its Chinese partner Shenzen Hasee, was a level one supplier for the free laptop scheme in phase II of the scheme.
The company alleges that the major laptop manufacturers violated tender norms by providing misleading information in the Phase III tenders.
It also alleged that Elcot awarded the contract to these companies for the fourth and fifth phase for the supply of 11 lakh laptops even after it pointed out that these companies are ineligible to participate in the tender.
The company said the tender permits bids from a single company who is a manufacturer based in India or in consortium arrangement in which one of the consortium members should be a manufacturer and trading activity is not allowed.
While the three firms - HP, Acer and Lenovo - submitted the necessary documents with their manufacturing location and other details to bag the tenders, they traded the laptops from other manufacturers in China, it alleged.
The consortium added that despite the company taking the matter to the IT Department and Elcot, the security deposit of the companies was not forfeited as per the laws, causing a loss of Rs 100 crore to the government.
The consortium said while it approached the High Court for a remedy and received an interim order, Elcot went ahead with the latest bidding and selected and issued orders to the three firms.
It requested the Court to quash the tenders for the fourth and fifth phases. it also wanted an interim order restraining Elcot and the Secretary of IT Department, Govt of Tamil Nadu, who is also the Chairman of Elcot, from proceeding with the procurement of laptops till the disposal of the petition.
The senior counsel for HP and the Advocate General of Tamil Nadu government argued against admission of the petition. The matter will be heard next month now.
