CHANDIGARH: The engineering department of the municipal corporation has received bids against the tenders floated for the purchase of items related to Covid-19 worth nearly Rs 2.10 crore, including PPE kits, masks, gloves and hand sanitisers. Since majority of the staff of the civic body has been working on the frontline to deal with the pandemic, these items are needed for their safety in the coming months.
The engineering wing has received 34 bids only for personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, while for the rest two items, it has received around half a dozen bids. Lowest bidders for the sanitisers and masks have been identified, while the process to select the competent bidder for PPE kits is going on.
"We have got good response to the tenders. The best figure quoted against the one for masks and gloves is Rs 15 lakh, 40% less than the estimated value of Rs 25 lakh. Similarly, the best bid price against the sanitiser tender is about 25% less than estimated Rs 46 lakh. As there are 34 contenders for PPE kits supply, their technical evaluation is going on," said a senior officer of the engineering department.
The officer said the engineering department had mentioned the guidelines, standards and recommendations of the WHO in the tender document.
Besides the sanitation and other employees of the sanitation department, who have been collecting garbage from quarantine houses and other areas of the city, employees of the engineering department, establishment wing, enforcement department, fire and emergency services and social development departments of the corporation also need these safety items for discharging their duties on a daily basis.