Tenders were invited for the BMC for repairs which include mending cracks in slabs, columns and beams at the school. Repairs also need to be carried out in the many places where the plaster has fallen off and the reinforcement exposed.

Setting aside a two-year old Bombay High Court ruling which states that the contractor with the lowest quotation should be awarded the contract, the civic administration is keen to grant it instead to the 11th lowest tender. The lowest tender quoted by M/s J P Enterprise at Rs 38.82 lakh (37.40 % below the civic estimate) has been thrown over for the Rs 52.03 lakh (16.11 % below the civic estimate) quoted by M/s Vishwakarma Enterprise.

Additional Municipal Commissioner S S Gill explaining the reason for the decision said that the administration wanted to settle on a tenderthat was not only low, but `workable' as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) tender committee felt that the contractor who had quoted the lowest would not be able to provide quality work.

Since rates quoted by the contractors were enormously low, the committee decided to call for the rate analysis from those contractors who had quoted more then 15 per cent below, he added. Satisfied with the analysis mooted by Vishwakarma Enterprises, which was the sole respondent, the committee felt that the enterprise could meet the requirements and the quotation was `fair and reasonable.'

Though Vishwakarma Enterprises is registered with the BMC in class `B' contractors in building works, it has never been appointed to carry out building repair or construction for the BMC before.

The decision however invited criticism from corporators who questioned the administration's support for Vishwakarma. Samajwadi Party leader in the BMC, Yusuf Abrahani, demanded to know why the administration had gone against thecourt ruling. Congress leader K A Basitiwala questioned why only those quoting below 15 per cent were called for rate analysis and demanded that the administration announce a policy whereby tenders below 15 per cent will not be considered. He also argued that the administration must explain why the court order was flouted.

Ironically, the civic administration had awarded the petty works contracts at 64 per cent below the civic estimate a couple of months ago. Subhash Mayekar of the Nationalist Congress Party said,

``When we opposed the petty works contract, the administration quoted the court order but now it is going against it.'' Corporators feel that administration should call for the analysis of all tenders and place reports before the committee for obtaining it's sanction.

The proposal will be taken up in a meeting scheduled next week.