The women child development minister awarded around 12.31 crore printing contract to Handmade paper Institute (HMPI) pune without tender and any competitive bids. Every body in this deal knew that HMPI was leased out way back and not entitled for any rate fixation.
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| Photo courtsy www.erewise.com |
Draft of the Indian Constitution
was written down by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on papers manufactured in Handmade
Paper institute (HMPI) in pune. Indeed a moment of pride for it. However
latter on babus of Khadi Gramodyog Village industries wrote a script of
corruption on the same paper. Some officials of HMPI deliberately help decrease
revenue and production of HMPI and eventually this unit was leased out to a
private contractor in 2010. Not even that, they helped private contractor whom
HMPI was leased out to bag government orders without any competition or tender.
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| Photo Courtsy thehindubusinessline.com |
To understand magnitude of
corruption let us see a calculation. Suppose HMPI as per its present full capacity produces 1,11,000 kg ( One lakh eleven thousand paper per year )
normally cost of hand made paper in market
is 140/kg. but assuming that it is 200 /kg it comes to 2,22,000,00/-
(two crore twenty two laks). The HMPI has bagged contract from Women and child
welfare (WCD) to the tune of 12.50 crores.
In addition to this HMPI caters to other government authorities .But can
they produce so much handmade paper ? definitely not.
Handmade paper is produced from
cotton rag waste from the cotton garment/ undergarment industry. More
importantly, no toxic chemicals are used in the handmade paper making process.
Handmade paper has the advantage of being 100% wood free which makes it the
most eco-friendly form of paper and hence has high demand from government
organizations. And as per GR dated 2
January 1992 some Items were reserved to be purchased from this institute only
being run by government.
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| Photo courtsy wwwdsource.in |
Later on Handmade paper Institute ( HMPI) of Khadi
Gramodyog Village Industry ( KVIC) was
leased to private contractor in 2010 (Anne - 27) .This unit has capacity
of making only hand
made paper up to maximum 20 – 25 tone /year. It has no printing unit.
Some printing is done by screen printing method. Before leased out HMPI,s
production capacity was reduced to 70 kg per day with 84 workers.( actual
capacity was 240 kg/day). After leased out a private contractor a electric
machine was introduced and production was increased by another 200 to 300 kg / day
i.e. total capacity to 270 to 370 kg/day.( Two shifts)
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| Photo courtsy mumbaimag.com |
Actually as this unit was leased
to private contractor hence, and as per HC order and Government decision on
Rate fixation, was not entitled to any type of rate fixation with government.
Despite it some item (Anne – 28) reserved for institute and rates were fixed as
if unit was run by government itself. And also extension was given to it
repeatedly and also ceiling on purchase was vacated( Anne -29 ) (Remember high court order and government
decision on rate fixation )
Then some officials of KVIC posed
before WCD as if unit was run by
government Also assured of all the process of manufacturing is done in
institute itself. And requested to allot work to handmade paper Institute (Anne -30)
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Accordingly work was allotted to
private party without tender. None of party related to this case was innocent.
Everybody new what was going wrong. But was a silent party to money siphoning
business.
A) Kalpak Rachana sanch, etc 4
items - 4,89, 38,385/- ( Anne -31 )
B) Probodhan per Mahitee
Pustika - - 2, 92, 54,351/- (Anne -32)
C) Handmade paper calendar - 99,99,425/- (Anne -33 )
D)Registers etc -
50,43,990 ( Anne -34 )
E) Handmade paper Drukk sandesh
Pustika – 2,99, 52,955/- (Anne -35 )
Total work of 12,31,89,106 - was
allotted. All the orders issued on same day i.e. 13 February 2015. Without even
knowing capacity of Institute.
Workers in this institute have
written to CM that none of the above product was manufactured in HMPI. That Means contractor has manufactured
all these products somewhere else while manufacturing the same in HMPI was the
basic condition. It is also impossible to manufacture so much amount of hand
made paper in HMPI or any such unit . Hence products if provided at all must be of mill made
paper . ( Anne – 36 & 37) and that
amounts to cheating.
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