By Special Correspondent
Bhopal: A five-member Congress delegation led by State Congress secretary Rajkumar Singh submitted a memorandum to the Commissioner, Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI), demanding a high-level investigation into alleged organised corruption in procurement processes of the School Education Department.
The delegation, which included Congress leaders Jitendra Mishra, Santosh Singh Parihar, Prashant Gurudev and Rahul Babele, alleged cartel-based tendering, predetermined award of contracts, deliberate ignoring of lower bids, biased evaluation of companies and overpriced purchases through DPI, particularly in the procurement of interactive panels.
The leaders claimed that tender conditions were designed to eliminate open competition and favour select companies. They alleged that reputed firms such as LG and Samsung were declared eligible, while Acer was arbitrarily disqualified, raising questions over fairness and transparency. Comparisons were also drawn with other states, where similar equipment was procured at lower prices with better specifications.
The Congress demanded restoration of an L-1 based transparent system, action against officials and companies involved, and warned of agitation if corrective steps were not taken.
