TN Corporation Clarifies: No Orders for Substandard Goods

The Tamil Nadu Consumer Goods Trading Corporation has issued purchase orders to companies that supply quality pulses and palm oil. It has been clarified that no orders have been issued to companies that fail to meet the specified quality standards, as mentioned in a recent news report.

The Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu Consumer Goods Trading Corporation clarified that the news claiming an order worth ₹1000 crore was issued to companies that fail to meet quality standards is entirely false.

For the special Public Distribution Scheme in Tamil Nadu, quality pulses and palm oil are procured as per the Tamil Nadu Tender Transparency Act, 1998, and the Rules, 2000. Tenders are announced in newspapers, and the process follows all necessary protocols. After evaluating the technical qualifications of bidders, the tenders are thoroughly reviewed by a committee led by the District Revenue Officer. Only technically qualified bids are shortlisted and subsequently reviewed by the Corporation’s committee, which negotiates and approves the final purchase orders.

For the three-month period from January 2025 to March 2025, tenders for the procurement of pulses and palm oil were announced on November 21, 2024. The last date for submission of bids, along with samples of pulses and palm oil, was set for December 9, 2024.

A total of 30 pulse samples from 18 companies and 9 palm oil samples from 9 companies were submitted to the office. These samples were sent to NABL-accredited laboratories for testing. On December 10, 2024, 24 of the 30 pulse samples met the quality standards, while 6 samples showed marginal deviations. However, these deviations were within permissible limits set by FSSAI and AGMARK. Second samples were then sent for further testing, and they met the required standards.

Based on lab reports, tender conditions, and internal evaluations, purchase orders for pulses were issued to 4 companies, all of which have previously supplied high-quality products to the Corporation. Similarly, 8 companies qualified for palm oil, and purchase orders were issued accordingly.

It has been clarified that claims of purchase orders being issued to companies supplying substandard goods are baseless and entirely false. The Tamil Nadu Consumer Goods Trading Corporation has always adhered to transparency and strict quality standards in its procurement process.

Issued by:
Director, Information and Public Relations Department, Chennai-9