Rajkot: In a re-assertion of procurement rules, the Rajkot Municipal Corporation’s standing committee rejected the Rs 27.20 lakh bill for food and related expenses during the Jangleshwar demolition in Feb, citing violation of mandatory tender rules and signalling a clean-up of civic contracts.The standing committee turned down the proposal at its meeting, noting that the expenditure on food, refreshments and other arrangements during the demolition drive had not followed the required tendering process. As a result, the civic body will not clear the payment.Committee chairman Paresh Pipaliya said the proposal sought approval on the ground that there was no time to follow the tender process. “As mandatory procedures were not complied with, the committee could not approve the proposal,” he said.At the same meeting, the panel reviewed two other proposals. A plan to deploy drones for anti-mosquito spraying has been kept pending. The committee moved forward on tightening procurement oversight.Mayor Nehal Shukla said the corporation will review all existing rate contracts. Where needed, contracts will be cancelled and fresh tenders invited. Until the review is completed, departments will float special tenders as required so all interested agencies can participate and civic services continue without disruption.The mayor clarified that payments already made under existing rate contracts during the demolition drive cannot be recovered as they were processed through a legally valid route.The decision comes amid the controversy over spending on the Jangleshwar operation. The RMC has yet to disclose the total cost of the demolition drive, and no official clarification on the overall expenditure has been issued so far.
