04 December,2010 06:25 AM IST | | Akela
Home Dept alleges that supplier delivered 46 inferior quality suits out of an order of 82 for the bomb squad
It seems like no lessons have been learnt from the 26/11 terror attacks that shook the foundations of the financial capital of the country.
The State's ATS chief Hemant Karkare was killed during the attacks, and a controversy surrounding the inferior quality of the bullet-proof jacket he was wearing steered a hornet's nest that exposed the callousness of the government.
And now, two years after the attacks, another set of "inferior quality equipment" has come to the fore.
Post the attacks the state decided to upgrade its armoury and ordered a set of 82 suits for its Bomb Squads across the state. The order was handed to Techno Trade Impex Pvt Ltd (TTIIPL) at the cost of Rs 6.21 crore.
TTIIPL had promised to procure high quality suits from a South African company, but instead it ended up importing 46 suits from China, and the remaining 36 suits from South Africa.
There is discrepancy in the price of the suits as well. While the suits imported from South Africa cost $9,700 (Rs 4.36 lakh) each, the Chinese suits cost $8,200 (Rs 3.69 lakh) a piece.
'Doubtful suits'
Questions surrounding the quality of the suits were raised and in an affidavit filed by Prem Kishan Jain, then Principal Secretary (Home), Jain has stated that the "Forty six suits imported from China are cheaper by $1500 each, as compared to the South African bomb suits. So their quality will obviously be lower."
In addition the affidavit also points out that the 36 suits imported from South Africa were "doubtful suits" as claimed by the petitioner.
Finding fault
On June 29, 2009, the home department sanctioned Rs 6.21crore to Malad-based TTIIPL to provide 82 suits for the bomb detection squads in Maharashtra and Mumbai police.
But in March 2010, TTIIPL filed a petition in the High Court alleging that the Maharashtra police had refused to accept delivery of the suits.
In response, Jain filed an affidavit on behalf of home department highlighting the terms and the false allegations made the petitioner. He added that the consignment was not delivered on time, and therefore was never ready for an inspection.
When contacted Jain said, "I am not the principal secretary now. I cannot comment on the issue as the matter is sub judice."
RS 6.21 cr
Amount sanctioned by the State for the new suits
82
Number of suits that were to be acquired for the state
The Other Side
Bimal Aggrawal, owner, TTIIPL said, "I have ordered the suits from Kejo Limited, a USA-based company. It depends on the company to select a port of export to supply the consignment to us. Not a single officer came to check our suits or take the delivery. I had filed a civil writ petition in court in this regard."
