Tender of AIIMS project cancelled citing administrative reasons

Ravinder Saini

Rewari, November 3

In a significant development, a tender released for design, engineering, procurement and construction, including operation and maintenance of the ambitious AIIMS project in Majra-Bhalkhi villages here, has been cancelled citing administrative reasons.The intimation for the tender cancellation has been given by the vice-president, HLL Infra Tech Services Limited (HITES), which works as an executive agency of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said sources.

A continuous process

It is a continuous process of the Administrative Department. Conditions are mentioned in the tender. If any company fails to meet the criteria due to technical deficiencies, the tender is cancelled and another tender is floated. The fencing work at the project site is underway and the Centre’s Health Department has taken possession of the land bought for the AIIMS project. Rao Indrejit, Union Minister

Stone still to be laid

The project was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2019 before the Lok Sabha elections. The state government has bought around 200 acres in Majra and Bhalkhi villages for executing the project, but its foundation stone is yet to be laid.

The development has disappointed residents who have been eagerly waiting for the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the project while Union Minister Rao Inderjit has claimed that the tender has been cancelled on technical grounds and the process for floating the new tender will be initiated soon.

Furthermore, the AIIMS Sangharsh Samiti, whose representatives have been staging indefinite dharna in Kund town here for the past over a month raising the demand for the execution of the project at the earliest, said the tender had been cancelled following political reasons as the state government intended to stretch the issue until the Lok Sabha elections in a bid to gain political mileage at that time.

“We had raised the doubt in advance that the government is not in a mood to execute the project before the elections. The cancellation of the tender has proved our doubt, but our agitation will continue until the project is executed. A woman panchayat will be organised at the dharna venue on November 6 and a bike rally will be taken out in the area on November 26 to muster public support for our agitation,” said Rajendra Nimoth, spokesman of the samiti.

Rao Indrejit said, “It is a continuous process of the Administrative Department. Conditions are mentioned in the tender. If any company fails to meet the criteria due to technical deficiencies, the tender is cancelled and another tender is floated. The fencing work at the project site is underway and the Centre’s Health Department has taken possession of the land bought for the AIIMS,” said Rao.