Now, following the DNA report of fake voter ID cards being issued in Dharavi, an FIR has been lodged against VSL which might well prove to be the last straw.
Vakrangee Software Limited (VSL), the key contractor responsible for issuing voters ID cards in 20 districts of the state has till now been slapped with the penalty of Rs25 lakh and the fines are still counting.
After it started work in early 2007, the firm has been divested from the assignment 17 districts and the replacement sought.
Now, following the DNA report of fake voter ID cards being issued in Dharavi, an FIR has been lodged against VSL which might well prove to be the last straw.
In fact, appointed the key contractor, VSL has gradually been divested of its work after hordes of complaints, mostly relating to inordinate delays and failure to achieve target, began to emerge.
The agency was the lowest bidder in five of the six divisions in the state, and was hence awarded with the contracts in three — Aurangabad, Nashik and Konkan, comprising nearly 20 districts.
As the state wanted different contractors in all divisions, the second-highest bidders in the respective divisions were asked to lower their price to the lowest quoted price.
After the bidders with second lowest price from two divisions, Pune and Amravai, agreed they were awarded the contracts in these divisions.
But in the remaining three divisions VSL was appointed contractor for rates ranging between Rs7.33 and Rs10 per card.
Refusing to comment, VSL sales manager Neeraj Tandon said, “We will be position to comment only tomorrow.”
Pointing to an abnormal increase in the registration of new voters in minority-dominated areas and those with sizeable migrant labour population, Shiv Sena MLA Suresh Gambhir and Dharavi unit deputy leader Muttu Thevar submitted a memorandum to EC’s state chief electoral officer, Debashish Chakrabarty.
VSL had problems right from the start. “We had to postpone the voter ID card drive by a month in Aurangabad, as VSL did not have sufficient manpower and technical support ready in January 2007. The agency was barred from the division in this April,” said joint chief electoral officer Shekhar Channe.
Subsequently it lost Nashik division in June after the EC was flooded with complaints of inefficiency, incapability in reaching invitation slips to the voters.
The company also was restricted to Mumbai city district, Mumbai suburban district and Thane after a recent action taken against it.
g_surendra@dnaindia.net
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