62 of 104 govt schools place order for uniforms,42 contemplate re-tendering

Talking to Chandigarh Newsline,District Education Officer Ram Kumar Sharma said,“SMCs floated tenders for the first time,schools that have not got suppliers,so far,will re-float the tenders. There cannot be different yardsticks for different schools. If no school had managed to get a response,then the department could have thought of putting in place another system to purchase uniforms. Schools have a month,they should soon get a positive response”.

A three-member high powered committee,consisting UT Finance Secretary V K Singh,Secretary Tourism D K Tiwari and Chairman Housing Board Satya Gopal,had decided that SMCs be authorised to invite tenders for the purchase of school uniforms and they had fixed price ceiling for the uniforms – Rs 300 from classes I to V and Rs 375 from classes VI to VIII.

The committee had fixed the rates of school uniforms after seven senior principals of various government schools were asked to survey the rates of the school uniform in the market and submit a report. After their report,the committee had fixed the rates.

The committee had also instructed certain tests that needed to be adhered to by the suppliers before manufacturing the uniforms. The committee had specified a special ‘yarn’ to be chosen to make the uniforms and certain chemical and mechanical tests that uniforms required to clear.

Along with two local suppliers,Mumbai-based Alok Industries Limited had also participated in the tendering process.