TN govt to call for global tenders for 40 lakh colour TVs

Chennai, Sep 4 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu government today decided to call for global tenders for procuring 40 lakh colour TV sets to be distributed to the poor, under the fourth phase of the free Colour TV scheme, among the populist poll promises that catapulted the DMK to power in the 2006 Assembly polls.

The decision to invite global tenders was taken at a meeting of the legislators of various parties and chaired by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi at the state Secretariat here.

The meeting decided to call for global tenders this month for procuring 40 lakh sets. The tenders would be opened during the middle of next month and finalised towards month end.

The 40 lakh sets would be distributed to the poor between January and December next year, an official release said.

The guidelines and technical specification followed while inviting tenders for the third phase of the scheme would be followed for the fourth phase also, the release added.

It said under the first phase, which was launched on former Chief Minister Annadurai's birthday on September 15, 2006, about 30,000 sets were distributed.

About 25 lakh sets were distributed during the second phase.

The release said of the 37.50 lakh sets procured for the third phase, 24,58,492 sets were distributed to people through district collectors. The balance of 12,91,508 sets would be disbursed by the end of this year.

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