Imphal, June 16: Perhaps because of a procedural lapses to the side of the state government authority, a case filed by a Guwahati based firm at Manipur High Court challenging the bidding process, process for procuring of equipments for Food Testing Laboratory here in Imphal has not yet begin till today.
According to an official source on September 9, last year, authority of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), along with the officials of the directorate of trade and Commerce, govt. of Manipur and Food Analyst & Nodal Officer, medical Directorate conducted an enquiry to the progress of the Food Testing and reported that the required equipments of the Laboratory were being procured through e-tendering as per the government procedure and will be completed within two months, i.e. before the month of December 2015.
It is now July, 2016, almost 8 months from the date the government authority had reported to have been completed, there is no sign of any progress for the establishment of the Food Testing Laboratory as the equipments required has not yet been procured till today.
Official source informed Imphal Times that the equipments cannot be procured as the e-tendering procedure has been delayed due to a case in Manipur high Court related to the bidding process filed by Guwahati based firm M/S NIM Pharmaceuticals, Ulubari.
The project for setting of the Food Testing Laboratory in Imphal was granted Export development Fund (EDF) assistance of Rs. 222.714lakh on May 28, 2012. Interesting, this EDF funds has been reportedly diverted by the Okram Ibobi led Congress Government instead of utilizing for the purposed.
On further enquiry it has been found out that, MANIDCO is the implementing agency of the said project and had stated that problem that delay the process of procuring the equipments has been sorted out and said that the setting up and function of the Food Testing Laboratory will be completed in the next two months.
On one thing it is confusion on whether to believe it or not as the case pending in the court is still not yet disposed.
Meanwhile, another official source said that as the fund has been diverted state government is not in position to sent utilization certificate of the project for establishment of the Food Testing Laboratory.