Date:10/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/10/stories/2008101051130300.htm

Tamil Nadu

Local body official refutes allegation

Special Correspondent

CUDDALORE: District panchayat secretary C.P. Usharani has refuted the allegation that she had procured substandard compact fluroscent lamps (CFLs) thereby causing loss to the exchequer.

In a statement released here on Thursday, Ms. Usharani said that the tender procedure had to be adopted only for procuring the items found in the government list and as CFL was not in the list, she had selected a supplier offering the product at a competitive price. While the district panchayat had adopted a resolution to procure 2,298 CFLs at the rate of Rs. 2,500 each, she had got the CFLs at the rate of Rs. 2,000 apiece without compromising on quality. In the normal course, the procurement would have cost Rs. 57 lakh but it worked out to only Rs. 45.96 lakh.