TN govt finalises bids for colour TVs

Chennai, Nov 24: The Tamil Nadu government today finalised bids for procuring 25 lakh Colour Televisions (CTVs) for distribution under the second phase of the free CTV scheme.

A committee of MLAs headed by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, formed to ensure transparency in procurement and distribution of CTVs, finalised the bids after five of the nine shortlisted companies agreed to supply a set at the rate of Rs 2,740, quoted by the Noida-based Dixon Technologies Private Limited.

Dixon, which had quoted the lowest price of Rs 2,750 per set when bids were opened on November 22, today reduced the price by Rs ten and agreed to provide a set at Rs 2,740.

During the discussions with the committee, the company also gave an acceptance letter to this effect.

Of the remaining eight companies shortlisted on November 22, four of them had refused to revise their price, The other four, Air Vision India Private Limited, Noida, L B Electronics, Ghaziabad, Videocon Communications Limited and Kitchen Appliances India Limited, which had quoted Rs 2789.70, Rs 2899, Rs 2945 and Rs 2998 respectively, agreed to provide TVs at the rate set by Dixon Technologies and gave their acceptance letters.

Following this, the committee unanimously finalised the price for one TV set at Rs 2,740.

The government also placed orders for procuring nine lakh sets from Dixon Technologies, six lakh sets from Videocon Communuications, three lakhs from Kitchen Applicances and two lakh sets each from Air Vision India and L B Electronics.

The government would place orders for an additional three lakh sets with Airvision India if the company increased its production capacity in three months.

The CTV scheme, one of the most populist poll promises made by the DMK that catapulted the party to power in the Assembly elections in May this year, was launched on September 15 with the distribution of 30,000 CTVs in the first phase.

UNI