The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Saturday, June 16, 2001, Chandigarh, India

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Chhat Bir zoo stinks of scandal
Unstamped beef from Saharanpur via Dera Bassi firm
Bipin Bhardwaj

Saharanpur, June 15
Buffalo meat, or beef, without the mandatory stamping of the veterinary doctors at government slaughter houses, is being reportedly supplied to the animals at Chhat Bir zoo. Chunks of beef from private slaughter houses in Saharanpur are being collected for supply. Interestingly, the new meat contractor is functioning after furnishing the name of a ‘‘fake’’ company and is a spare parts trader.

The supply of unstamped beef, say sources in the zoo, is in violation of the terms of the tender floated by the Punjab Government on May 17. Uncertified and unstamped beef exposes animals to a number of diseases as the beef is ‘‘unchecked for germs which cause infections and other ailments’’.

Unstamped beef was being supplied as beef was expensive in government slaughter houses as compared to the private ones, say sources. The Government has turned a blind eye to all this.

The Punjab Forest Minister, Mr Surjit Kumar Jyani, defends this by saying: ‘‘We were interested in getting the best quality meat at the lowest price as the zoo was facing a major financial crunch.’’ Meanwhile, the Saharanpur-based beef supplier, Mr Nayeem Muhammad, claimed the beef was being purchased from government slaughter houses. He further added that the government veterinary doctor was issuing receipts after checking the beef for infection instead of stamping it.

The owner of Nayeem Meat Suppliers in Luhani Sarai here revealed an interesting fact which needs further investigation. He claims that the Dera Bassi based company, Dee Pee Traders, which supplies beef to the zoo, was buying the same from him at Rs 19 per kg. Interestingly, the company is supplying it to the zoo at Rs 18.49 per kg. How is this possible unless it is a game to keep out the original bidder and for how long will Dee Pee Traders pay from its own pocket?

A random survey by The Tribune team posing as buyers from Haryana at the Luhani Sarai market here revealed that beef traders were getting supply from various slaughter houses. ‘‘Slaughter house certificates’’ are issued by government veterinary doctors on demand of the consumers.

A former beef supplier for Chhat Bir zoo, Mr Shafiq Ahmed, on Ansariya Street, said beef rates fluctuate between Rs 18 and 32 per kg as per the quality of the meat. He, however, clarified that he was earlier supplying carcasses to the zoo at the rate of Rs 27.70 per kg while cut pieces were supplied at lower rates.

Beef sellers even offered a rate of Rs 18.75 per kg in case the beef was needed in bulk and was uncertified. Moreover, they also offered a commission of Rs 2 per kg provided the deal remained between the supplier and the Tribune team.

It may be recalled that the contract of Mr Asif Ahman to supply beef was cancelled by Mr H.S. Gujral, Chief Conservator of Forest and Wildlife Warden, Punjab, on April, 26. Mr Gujral cancelled the beef supply in the absence of Dr Vinod Sharma, Chief Warden (Zoos), Punjab, when he was away to Libya.

Mr Jyani supported the cancellation of the beef contract by Mr Gujral and justified it by saying that the contractor was charging very high rates and even failed to comply with the conditions of the supply orders. He further said that it was the government’s discretion to open the tender even after receiving two bids.

When asked about the ‘‘fake’’ company, the Minister said that a committee comprising two senior forest officials was constituted to find out the authenticity of the company. He said the government had no objection about the company (doing some other trade) if it supplied “cheap and good quality beef”.

Moreover, the forest officials reportedly had also cancelled the beef tender out of the way and then awarded the re-tender to the Dera Bassi-based trader.

Following the cancellation of the contract, over 125 carnivores of the zoo had to go without food for over 55 hours. The contractor, Asif Ahmed, was supplying beef at Rs 27.70 per kg after he was awarded a tender in April this year.

Then on April 29, the Deputy Director of the zoo, Mr. Gurpal Singh, along with Mr R.D. Kaushal, Zoo Superintendent, and Mr Sukhdev Singh, Inspector, were rushed to Saharanpur to purchase the required quantity of beef from Sadiq Ahmed at the rate of Rs 23 per kg on quotation basis.

Sources in the zoo disclosed that the supplier refused to provide 815 kg of beef at the rate of Rs 23 per kg as the market was facing an acute shortage of live animals. To meet the required quantity of food for the zoo animals Rs 30 per kg was sought by the supplier. But to maintain the rates at par with the tender rates, the deal was settled for Rs 27 per kg.

In the meantime a re-tender was ordered. The Saharanpur based Safiq Ahmed, sought stay of the tender.

The re-tender was opened May 17 and only two bids were received. The lowest bid of Rs 18.49 per kg offered by Dee Pee Traders, a Dera Bassi-based company, was accepted. This was lower than the earlier rate of Rs 27.70 per kg. Another bid of Rs 21 per kg offered by Sahib Enterprises, a Delhi-based company, was not entertained.

Officials in the Forest Department, on condition of anonymity, disclosed that the authorities had asked Dee Pee Traders if the company could maintain the supply of beef. The committee even ignored the pre-qualification criteria for the bidder and other terms and conditions of the tender awarding process. These included a minimum turnover and experience in the supply of meat.

The committee hardly tried to find out if the bidder had a proper store with all facilities to preserve the meat or not. As per the rules, the tendering authorities should have personally visited the premises of the contractor who has been awarded the tender for the first time.

Had they personally visited the authenticity would have been checked. Investigation by The Tribune team revealed that there is no company by the name of Dee Pee Traders functioning from the address (E-3 Focal Point, Dera Bassi, Patiala). As per the Punjab State Industrial and Export Corporation (PSIEC) records, the plot has been allotted to Mr Ajay Dhaneshwar. The owner has got a licence to set up a plant for cutting tools at that particular plot.

The owner has constructed just a boundary wall around the plot. Wild growth has come up all over the plot besides the main gate of the factory. The question which arises is : Can a trader having a licence for ‘‘tool cutting’’ run a trade of supplying beef from there?

Highly placed sources in the Forest Department confirmed that a ‘‘fake’’ company, named Dee Pee Traders, was formed by Mr Rajiv Dhaneshwar, a proprietor of Rajiv Engineering Works being run from Industrial Area Phase II in Chandigarh. He along with his family members own two other factories — one furniture manufacturing unit and another of tractor spare-parts manufacturing unit — in Industrial Area Phase VII, SAS Nagar.

It is learnt that the traders allegedly floated the company — Dee Pee Traders — on the directions of a senior forest official so that the monopoly of a contractor who was supplying beef for the zoo for a long period could be broken.

Mrs Gurbinder Kaur Chahal, Financial Commissioner, Forests, and Secretary to the Punjab Government, was not available for comments

As per the government rules, there should be at least three bid applications for the opening of a tender, if the applications are less than the government has to invite the tenders again. In this case, the Chhat Bir zoo authorities received only two applications. Ignoring all rules, the tender was given to Dee Pee Traders.

Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance and Planning Minister of Punjab, when asked about the issue said that the beef controversy was unfortunate. He said the zoo should be a centre of attraction of the visitors of the country.