The Decision of RDA’s Contract Award Faces Questioning

After conducting a thorough analysis of the protests lodged by J. Dookhun & Sons Ltd, the Independent Review Panel (IRP) has decided to give the company a second chance to compete for the contract.

The company had initially submitted a comprehensive proposal of Rs 801,998,717 for the maintenance and minor repairs of roads across the country.

In its judgment, which was delivered in mid-May, the IRP re-examined the entire process at the request of J. Dookhun & Sons Ltd.

The panel concluded that a re-evaluation of the company’s proposal “must be done by a Bid Evaluation Committee constituted otherwise.”

Additionally, the IRP emphasized that if the conclusions of the new Bid Evaluation Committee differ from the original committee’s findings, the Central Procurement Board (CPB) should reconsider its decision and adjust it accordingly.

In essence, the contract is on hold pending the re-examination of the file by the new Bid Evaluation Committee, which will determine whether J. Dookhun & Sons Ltd is ultimately the most deserving bidder.

The tender had been launched by the Road Development Authority (RDA) on August 28, 2024. By the time the submission period closed on October 16, seven companies had submitted their bids.

The final decision was announced on March 29, 2024, with five companies being selected for the contract: Safety Construction Co Ltd, Gamma Construction Ltd, Square Deal Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd, General Construction Co Ltd, and Transinvest Construction Ltd.

However, two companies, including J. Dookhun & Sons Ltd, did not receive a part of the contract.

The company officially protested to the CPB on April 4, arguing that its proposal was the third lowest bidder for the West and South zones and highlighting several technical aspects.

It also questioned why three contractors were selected for each zone except for the South zone, which had only two.

The company further alleged that some contractors had been chosen despite having less valid proposals than its own. On April 15, J.

Dookhun & Sons Ltd approached the IRP, providing specific evidence to support its claims.

The IRP analyzed the data and heard from various parties before drawing several conclusions. Among these, it noted that the Bid Evaluation Committee “did not follow the usual procedure expected under the law.”

The panel expressed hope that such confusion would not occur in the future and that diligence and equity would be maintained in future procurement exercises managed by the CPB.

Source: Defi Media