LAHORE: A Chinese firm, which was blacklisted in October by the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC), has sought similar action against five companies for submitting forged documents while participating in bidding for various projects.

The complaint filed by the company has also proved to be genuine after an inquiry team thoroughly examined it along with the evidence, Dawn has learnt.

“The Chinese firm was blacklisted last month and barred from participating in any tender for one month. However, in a recent complaint submitted to the NTDC managing director (MD), the firm called the decision based on mala fide intention and discriminatory, asking why various ‘favourite’ firms were not treated the same way,” an official source in the NTDC told Dawn on Saturday.

The NTDC — a state-owned subsidiary of the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) — had on Oct 11 blacklisted a Chinese firm over allegations of preparing and submitting forged documents to the department concerned during the bidding of a project for the procurement of insulator hardware assemblies, including Pre-RTV-Coated 160kN disc insulator (anti-fog type, porcelain or glass) for 500kV D/C Quad Bundle Transmission Lines for power evacuation from K-2/K-3 nuclear power plants.

On the other hand, the NTDC management has been told by an inquiry committee that the way the Chinese firm was treated seemed to be discriminatory, as some companies whose documents were also proved bogus during scrutiny for various tenders and projects were ‘favoured’ allegedly by some officers.

“Since the proofs appended with the firm’s complaint show that some bids of several companies in various projects were declared non-responsive instead of blacklisting them, the firm sought to also blacklist them,” the source added.

The official said the team probing the complaint also declared the firm’s stance based on facts. “The team in its report has termed the punishment given to the firm discriminatory, recommending to the MD to also take similar action against the companies declared non-responsive instead of being blacklisted in tendering process of various projects,” he added.

Talking to Dawn, NTDC MD Manzoor Ahmad said he would take appropriate action once he went through the complaint and the inquiry report. “I took over charge as MD last week. But I will look into the issue soon and take action,” he added.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2021