Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A controversy has erupted over the Indore Municipal Corporation’s (IMC) tender process for leasing regional park land under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Indore Municipal Corporation, Chintu Choukse has submitted a formal objection, demanding the immediate cancellation of the tender.
In a letter addressed to the municipal commissioner, Choukse said that the online tender floated by the IMC for the redevelopment of the regional park received only a single technical bid.
The financial offer submitted in that sole bid was reportedly inadequate, raising questions about transparency and fairness in the process.
Choukse criticized the IMC’s decision to lease such a prime and significant parcel of land for just Rs 2 crore. “This amount is extremely low considering the commercial potential of the park and its central location,” he wrote. He suggested that the IMC could develop the park on its own through internal funding or loans, especially when it was already borrowing Rs 500 crore for building projects.
He further alleged that loopholes in the online bidding process allowed a single bidder to dominate the tender. “In such a situation, the tender must be cancelled and a fresh, transparent process should be initiated”, Choukse said.
He warned that if the tender was not cancelled, the Congress would raise the issue in public forums and agitate against what he termed a ‘wasteful and suspicious deal involving public land’.
