Chennai: Alleging lack of transparency in issuing tenders for government contracts, leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin on Saturday urged Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisami to ensure online tenders for all government contracts.
The Chief Minister should not use his position to retain the support of 122 MLAs and protect the party symbol, Stalin said and added that he should function with the objective of finalising tenders without corruption and saving the state's exchequer.
Recalling that the DMK government in 1998 brought a law for transparency in tenders, he said transparency was followed in all the schemes including Hogenakkal and Ramanathapuram integrated water scheme, besides the construction of the secretariat.
All the sections of the tender law are being bent to facilitate allocation of contracts to those who are close to the ruling party. Even tender forms are being given to the people close to the ruling party, he said and added that most of the government offices and public enterprises had not switched over to online tender system.
Charging the existence of 'syndicate system' in tender allotment, Stalin alleged that the government is trying to placate the MLAs to keep them loyal and they are imposing new conditions like uploading new certificates with the objective of awarding the tenders to those close to the AIADMK.
All the tenders for PWD, highways, local bodies, rural development, health and transport, besides those for public enterprises should be allocated through the online system, he said. The syndicate system should be totally done away with and transparency would abolish commissions and corruption, Stalin added.
