Chennai, Nov 22 (NationPress) BJP leader K. Annamalai has made serious allegations against the Greater Chennai Corporation, claiming that the extension of the deadline for a substantial waste collection contract worth Rs 4,000 crore is illegal. He asserts that this maneuver was intended to benefit a specific company and could potentially lead to widespread corruption.

Annamalai is calling for the immediate cancellation of the tender and for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding this decision.

Initially, the Corporation had solicited bids in July from private entities for door-to-door waste collection services in both the Tondiarpet and Anna Nagar zones.

This 10-year contract holds an estimated value of around Rs 4,000 crore.

According to Annamalai, the tender had already been postponed four times prior to setting the final deadline at 3 p.m. on Thursday. By this time, three companies had submitted their bids.

Annamalai claims that, in a breach of procurement regulations, the Corporation extended the deadline for an additional day, with November 21 announced as the new cut-off after the official period had concluded.

This last-minute alteration allowed another company to join the tender process. He argued that the extension seemed to be a strategic move to assist a specific company, especially since the authorities were aware of the bid values of the first three participants once the deadline had lapsed.

By permitting a new applicant after the bid details had been assessed, he stated, the fairness and integrity of the entire process were compromised.

Annamalai pointed out that extending the tender deadline post the official time is not only against the rules but also significantly undermines the transparency that public contracts require.

The three companies that adhered to the original deadline were unjustly disadvantaged, he noted, emphasizing that such a violation raises serious questions about the motives behind the extension.

Given the significant financial implications of the contract, Annamalai argued that the situation strongly indicates an attempt to facilitate corruption.

"This is not merely a minor procedural breach - it is a deliberate violation that paves the way for a Rs 4,000-crore scam," he alleged.

He urged the Chennai Corporation to immediately cancel the tender, disclose the details of the company that initially qualified by the November 20 deadline, and clarify the reasoning behind the dubious extension.

Furthermore, Annamalai called for a thorough investigation to identify those accountable for modifying the deadline post-closure. He insisted that the Corporation must act without delay to restore transparency and accountability in what he characterized as a "highly suspicious and irregular tender process."