Chennai: In order to eradicate corruption in tendering and procurement, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has decided to train around 2,000 officials on floating, scrutinising and evaluating tenders.The civic body floats more than 300 tenders, ranging from works worth a few lakh rupees to projects costing several hundred crore. every month. Over the past two decades, GCC has repeatedly faced allegations of irregularities, including pre-fixed tenders that restricted competition to select contractors, short bidding windows and restrictive eligibility clauses that kept out potential bidders. It has also led to retrospective cancellation of tenders leading to project stoppages affecting people, and arbitration affecting the civic body.GCC commissioner G S Sameeran said half-day training sessions will be conducted in batches over five days in the last week of July. Officials from the rank of divisional assistant engineer to chief engineer, along with system managers and procurement officials, will undergo the training. “The GCC will engage procurement experts and experienced officials to train them on the Tamil Nadu Tender Transparency Act and the Tender Transparency Rules, 2000,” Sameeran said.The programme will focus on govt procurement guidelines, tender transparency provisions and e-procurement processes. Officials will also be trained to prepare estimates based on the Standard Schedule of Rates while accounting for competitive bidding costs.“The training will help officials avoid procedural mistakes while inviting tenders. They will also be educated on procurement methods such as public-private partnership, e-auctioning and forward bidding,” the commissioner said.Anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam convener Jayaram Venkatesan said reforms must go beyond training and address tender conditions that restrict competition. “The eligibility conditions should ensure at least five to 10 bidders participate. In the past, most tenders had only two participants. Competition should exist not just in the technical bid but also in the financial bid,” he said.He said it was common for three contractors to enter a tender, with two getting eliminated during technical evaluation, leaving only one bidder in the financial stage. “Only when there is competition in financial bidding will there be genuine competition,” he said.Jayaram also urged the GCC to immediately refund earnest money deposits (EMD) to unsuccessful bidders, saying smaller contractors are discouraged when deposits remain locked for long periods. “This prevents smaller bidders from participating. Contractors should also be allowed to move up from Class V to IV and III more easily. Most corruption happens in Class I tenders, where experience and high-turnover requirements limit participation to only a few contractors,” he said.He also called for stricter verification of contractor credentials. “The GCC must ensure the genuineness of technical certificates. Some contractors submit fake technical certificates and even forge bid-capacity documents to show higher turnover,” he said.
