Rajendra Prasad Mohapatra

News Highlights

  • The decision to extend the deadline has been taken in view of requests from many prospective vendors

  • The deadline for online bid submission has been extended till 10 am on June 4

  • The online technical bid of the tender will be opened at 11.30 am followed by the financial bid at 5 pm

The Odisha government on Friday announced extension of the deadline for submission of bids for global tender floated for procurement of Covid-19 vaccines by one week. The tender process which was scheduled to end today has now been extended till June 4.

According to Odisha State Medical Corporation (OSMC) Limited sources, the decision to extend the deadline has been taken by the State government in view of requests from many prospective vendors, cyclone Yaas and also for greater participation of vaccine suppliers.

“The deadline for online bid submission has been extended till 10 am on June 4.The online technical bid of the tender will be opened at 11.30 am followed by the financial bid at 5 pm,” read a press release issued by OSMC.
The State government on May 15 had floated the global e-tender to procure 3.8 crore vaccines from leading manufacturers across the globe.

According to the tender document, the State government will offer advance payment up to 30 per cent of the value of each purchase order.

Final payment will be ensured within two working days from the date of receipt of each consignment, it said.
The government had also earlier relaxed certain norms and conditions to facilitate more bidders to take part in the global tender for Covid-19 vaccine procurement.
The amended approval in this regard was made at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. 

'Relaxation has been approved in the EMD, bid security and liquidated damages to attract more vaccine manufacturers within the country and abroad," Chief Secretary S C Mohapatra had said after the cabinet meeting.

He had further said that in order to facilitate the participation of manufacturers of vaccines to be stored in supercool temperature, the storage condition has been revised up to minus 20 degree Celsius, subject to the condition that the vaccines will remain stable and maintain its potency at 2 degree Celsius to 8 degree Celsius for at least 12 hours. The previous storage condition was 2 degree Celsius to 8 degree Celsius, the chief secretary said.

The relaxation in norms was incorporated following a meeting with the manufacturers on May 19.

Notably, the State government had announced to inoculate the age group of 18-44 free of cost. The number of beneficiaries of the age group is around two crore in the State.

(Edited by Ramakanta Biswas)

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