TVK scraps Rs 16.8 lakh water tank tender after DMK flags 'planned' 6-hour process

Key points

• A political storm has erupted in Tamil Nadu after the newly elected government led by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam cancelled a government tender within hours of floating it, following allegations from the opposition that the process was designed to favour a particular contractor.
• The controversy centres around a tender issued by the Rural Development Department on May 19 for the construction of a 30,000-litre overhead water tank in Kancheepuram district.
• The contract, valued at Rs 16.83 lakh, was published at 9 am with the deadline for bid submissions fixed at 3 pm the same day, leaving prospective bidders with a si hour window to participate.
• Read Full Story According to the tender schedule, the bids were to be opened at 4 pm on May 19 itself.
• Screenshots of the tender details soon spread across social media, drawing criticism over the unusually short bidding period and triggering accusations of lack of transparency...