Chandigarh admin to buy plants for officers’ houses, Haryana Raj Bhawan for Rs. 11.27 lakh

In supplying the plants for senior officers’ houses in Sector 7 Chandigarh, the UT will be spending Rs. 4.18 lakh. Of this, an amount of Rs. 79,980 will be spent in providing hybrid vegetable and flower seedlings in these houses. As many as 13,330 of such seedlings will be purchased.

Then, as many as 700 indoor and outdoor decorative ornamental plants will be purchased for Rs. 1.40 lakh to be planted in these houses. Also, 500 hybrid annual seasonal flowering plants for Rs. 75,000 are being procured. The tender mentions that about 1,000 hybrid bloom flowers of different varieties for Rs. 35,000 and earthern pots for Rs. 30,000 have to be procured. Along with this, nylon green mesh for Rs. 12,000 will also be provided.

In another tender floated for ten houses of senior officers in Sector 5, an amount of Rs. 3.56 lakh will be spent. This includes hybrid vegetable and flower seedlings for Rs. 60,000. As many as 200 rose plants for Rs. 10,000, about 500 indoor and outdoor ornamental plants for Rs. 1 lakh and 500 hybrid seasonal flowering plants for Rs. 75000, a Nylon mesh for Rs. 24,000 will also be purchased for these houses.
Similarly, for Raj Bhawan Haryana, an amount of Rs. 3.53 lakh is being spent. As many as 200 rose plants for Rs. 10,000, ornamental plants for Rs. 1 lakh and hybrid flower seedlings for Rs. 48,000 will be purchased.

A Chandigarh-based horticulturist said that the estimates prepared in these tenders are really high. “All rates of estimate are 25 to 35 per cent higher than the actual rate. If they purchase from their own nursery can save more than 50 per cent. Moreover, during a pandemic, we should save money and spend it judiciously. These tenders should be cancelled or spent with minimum actual requirement,” he said.

Similar tender cancelled in July

In July, the UT Engineering wing had to cancel a tender of purchasing plants of Rs. 75000 for an IAS officer’s residence worth Rs. 74,194, after they invited criticism. City based activists had termed it a waste of public money.

Rose plants of Pune variety, ficus starlight are among various other flowers for which officials floated a tender.

Even that time, the horticulturist had said that the estimates prepared in the tender by the administration were too high and “Chandani and hamellia varieties specified were given for free by the forest.”

Later, the officials of the engineering wing said that though it is just the usual landscaping that they do, the tender will be cancelled if there was any issue about the same.