MAPUSA
The pay-parking tender floated by the Candolim Village Panchayat has come under a cloud, with allegations that the process has been quietly engineered to favour select bidders while sidelining others.
A former contractor has raised serious objections, calling the tender conditions “exclusionary” and “tailor-made,” and questioning both the timing and financial structuring of the bid.
In a formal complaint to the panchayat secretary, local bidder Agnelo Sequeira ” who successfully operated the pay-parking contract last year ” has flagged a key eligibility clause requiring a minimum of two years’ prior experience. Sequeira argues that the condition is arbitrary and designed to knock him out of contention despite his proven track record.
Having only one year of experience under the previous contract, Sequeira says he is now effectively barred from participating. “This is nothing but an attempt to rig the system and ensure the contract goes to a predetermined party,” he has alleged.
He further pointed out that this is not the first time the tender process has been contested. A similar dispute last year forced him to approach the High Court, which ultimately enabled him to secure the contract.
Beyond eligibility concerns, Sequeira has also questioned the financial prudence of the current tender. According to him, the minimum base price has been set significantly lower than last year’s successful bid, raising the possibility of revenue loss to the panchayat.
Equally contentious is the timing of the tender process. Sequeira claims the tender notice was issued in a manner that limited fair participation ” released just before a holiday and immediately followed by a weekend ” leaving little time for bidders to respond or seek legal recourse.
Taken together, he argues, the conditions and timing point to a “dubious and manipulated” process rather than a transparent and competitive one.
Sequeira has demanded that the tender be put on hold and the disputed clause scrapped. He has warned that failure to do so will leave him with no option but to once again seek judicial intervention.
The allegations have now put the Candolim panchayat under scrutiny, with questions being raised about transparency, fairness, and whether due process has been compromised in awarding a public contract.
