THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, Jan 16: JD(U) MLA Saryu Roy has called on Chief Minister Hemant Soren to initiate an investigation into the purchase of 9,20,245 blankets intended for the poor in Jharkhand.
In a letter to the CM, Roy revealed that the procurement order for these blankets was issued for the financial year 2024-25 and was meant to cover all 24 districts of the state.
“The supply order was awarded to Om Shakti Textiles, Panipat, Haryana, and Bihari Lal Chaudhary Tradelink Private Limited, Dhanbad. The deadline for completing the blanket supply was January 11, 2025. Although distribution has started, it remains incomplete,” he stated.
Known for his anti-corruption stance, Roy expressed concerns over reports from various districts indicating that the blankets failed to meet the tender’s quality specifications. He outlined several critical issues that warrant immediate investigation:
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- Manufacturing Process
The tender stipulated that all blankets must be produced using handloom techniques. However, it has been found that the distributed blankets were made using power loom techniques, which violates the tender terms.
- Material Composition
As per the tender, the blankets should consist of 70% woollen thread and 30% synthetic thread. Contrary to this, reports suggest that the wool content in most blankets ranges between 35% and 40%. Moreover, the synthetic thread used is reportedly made from recycled or old materials, instead of the required new polyester.
- Weight Standards
The tender specifies that each blanket must weigh at least two kilograms after washing. However, many of the distributed blankets fail to meet this weight requirement.
- Tender Evaluation Process
Roy highlighted irregularities in the tender evaluation process. As per protocol, technical evaluations should precede financial evaluations, ensuring that only technically qualified bidders are considered for financial assessment. In this case, however, financial bids were evaluated first, and technical evaluations were conducted afterward, which breaches standard procedures.
- Centralized Procurement
Previously, blanket procurement was managed at the district level. This year, the process was centralized at the state level with the aim of improving quality. Despite this change—and an increase in the price per blanket by ₹75 to ₹100 compared to last year—the quality has deteriorated due to non-compliance with tender conditions.
- Discrepancy in Blanket Quality
Reports indicate that suppliers are distributing two types of blankets: roughly 10% of the blankets adhere to the tender specifications, while the remaining 90% do not. This appears to be a deliberate strategy to pass quality inspections, as samples for verification are often drawn from the 10% compliant batch.
Action Requested
The MLA has urged the chief minister to collect blanket samples from rural areas across all districts and test them to ensure they comply with the tender terms. He has also called for appropriate legal action based on the test results.
