Code of conduct halts tender for Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar civic body's Rs 40 crore property survey

The model code of conduct for the graduates' constituency election has brought the tender process for the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Municipal Corporation's roughly Rs 40 crore property re-survey to a halt midway. As a result, the entire process is likely to be pushed back by at least a month.

The civic body had decided to re-survey properties across the city to make property tax collection more accurate. A tender worth about Rs 40 crore was floated with the aim of updating property records and correcting discrepancies in tax assessment. The first tender did not get the expected response, so the corporation had to invite tenders again.

Three agencies, Aninth, Poir and Sthapatya, took part in the second round of tendering. The technical bids of all three agencies have already been opened. But the scrutiny of technical documents that was to follow, and the process of deciding which agencies qualify for the financial bid stage, has been stalled because of the code of conduct. This work will now move forward only after the code of conduct ends.

The code of conduct is not limited to this tender alone. It will also affect the corporation's proposed new development works. Projects already under way will not be directly affected, but there will be a bar on floating tenders for new works and holding events such as foundation-laying and inauguration ceremonies. This means decisions related to new development works will remain pending until the election process is complete.

The code of conduct is also visible in the corporation's political functioning. General body, standing committee and various subject committee meetings cannot be held for now, so no decisions can be taken on matters awaiting approval. Routine administrative work will continue, but the decision-making process at the level of elected office-bearers has come to a halt.

According to municipal corporation officials, this property re-survey is necessary so that property records match the corporation's policies, and so that property tax assessment is updated and becomes more accurate. Tenders were invited a second time after the first tender did not get a good response, and three agencies took part, but their technical scrutiny has not been able to move forward because of the code of conduct.