The State government has instituted an inquiry by Bengaluru City Police (BCP) Commissioner Kamal Pant over a complaint that an IPS officer tried, and failed, to procure classified information on a ₹619-crore Safe City Project tender much before it was published.
The project involves the installation of CCTV cameras, among a host of other measures, for women’s safety in the city under the Nirbhaya Fund. The project is monitored by a State-Level Apex Committee chaired by the Chief Secretary, and the officer in question is in no way related to the project or part of the committee, sources said.
The officer allegedly called up an official at the project consultant Ernst and Young (E&Y) on November 7, claiming to be Home Secretary, and sought details and a copy of the Request for Proposal (RFP) that was then still in the process of being finalised. With E&Y flagging the conversation, Hemant Nimbalkar, Additional Commissioner (Administration), BCP, also member-secretary of the apex committee, wrote to the Chief Secretary seeking a probe against said officer on December 7. Mr. Nimbalkar’s letter also alleged that the officer had impersonated the Home Secretary.
The RFP is a classified document till it is published, and its leakage before publication might hamper the level playing field among potential bidders, a senior official said, arguing that an unauthorised attempt to access the RFP before publication amounted to “serious impropriety” and also raised questions about the motive behind it.
Mr. Pant, also a member of the apex committee, said he would conduct the inquiry and submit the report soon. However, he was quick to add that the ongoing tender had, in no way, been compromised. “The financial bids are yet to come in. January 8 is the last day for submission of bids. An officer tried to access the RFP before it was published, but [the attempt] was not successful. The tender process remains untouched by this and will carry on as scheduled,” he said.
