THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/ THRISSUR: PWD contract Minister Mohammad Riyaz has prevented the move to give a contract worth Rs 5.75 crore to an unapproved private company, by not following tender norms, to install CCTV cameras in the Kerala High Court. The Chief Engineer, Public Works, ordered a re-tender following minister's request to cancel the tender and for a detailed inquiry into the incident.

The tender was accepted by the Executive Engineer, Thrissur Electronics Division, Public Works Department, without following the rules. As per Public works manual, for tenders above Rs 5 crore, pre-qualification documents must be submitted. It is to be checked by the Chief Engineer, this was not followed.

Minister ordered for a detailed enquiry as he had doubted corruption. By law, only Class A registered contractors can participate in such tenders. Even the details of the disputed contractor were insufficient in the documents sent by the executive engineer for the tender scrutiny.

The executive engineer recommended a private company, Adtech, as it was the lowest bidder. Keltron participated in the tender but was rejected. The executive engineer did not specify why Keltron was left out. It was in this context that it was decided to cancel the tender process and seek an explanation from the Executive Engineer for the serious omission. Strict action will be taken on the basis of the investigation.