Solar panel project: MC mulls changes in tender to get bidder

Chandigarh: The Chandigarh MC, which failed to get a bidder for the project of installing solar panels on around 100 MC buildings twice, is considering changes in tender documents to ensure maximum participation. The engineering department is assessing what changes can be made in accordance with terms and conditions of the tender document.
The department prepared a tender document of around Rs 17 crore after identifying all its buildings, measuring their rooftop area and feasibility.The MC is looking for a single bidder for the work.
“The engineering department of the MC floated the tender twice but failed to get a successful bidder. In one tender exercise, it received only one tender and in the second exercise, it got only one eligible bidder again. A single tender cannot be considered. Now, senior officers of the MC are discussing what changes can be made to ensure the participation of maximum bidders. Non-availability of bidders means that the tender needs to be looked into once again,” sources in the MC said.
This is the first time that the MC has planned and initiated the exercise of installing solar panels on its buildings on its own. A few MC buildings are already equipped with solar panels. Such projects, which were completed earlier, were implemented by Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST) , a wing of the department of environment, Chandigarh.