Lowest bid fails to bag PCB security contract

Sources said there was pressure on the management of Spider Security to hire staff for 30 days which they say is a violation of labour laws. They reasoned that employees needed off days in a month. The three-member committee of the PCB earlier worked out the minimum wages for 26 days to be Rs 6,846 at the rate of Rs 264 per person per day. The spider security fitted into this wage structure.

PCB chief health superintendent,V S Kulkarni,confirmed that the board has given the work to another security agency. “We issued an order giving the work to another agency as Spider security didn’t fit in the minimum wage rules.” He added that the work was decided to be given to the private agency by the CEO. Despite all efforts Koshy was not available for comment.

Sources further add that the rate structure which has been worked out for the watch and ward staff by the Union Ministry of labour and employment each day is Rs 205 and the rate quoted by Spider security was higher than the Ministry rate. The three-member committee of the Board had also asked for giving an option to the Spider security that it can charge over time of 8 days by making its personnel to work on Sundays in case the PCB intended so. If the rate charged for overtime was taken into account the money works out to be Rs 8,976 per month which rules out the contract to the agency which has been given the work. Sources said despite the committee recommendation,the Spider security was not given the opportunity to exercise the option of overtime. “The spider security was not heard at all,” sources said.

Sources also add that the agency which has been given the work also doesn’t posses a police licence which is essential for awarding such works. PCB member Manzoor Nazir Shiekh said the lack of police licence with the agency was raised in a meeting recently. “I feel that the work needs to be re-tendered,” he said.

As per the documents available with The Indian Express, the private agency instead of submitting the licence given by the Pune police commissioner submitted a certificate given to its sister concern. Sources said the work to the private agency has come even as the security regulations prohibit the private security agencies or any persons from running the business of security agencies without a valid license.