BANGALORE: An e-tendering process for solar projects worth Rs 2,100 crore, called by the state government , has opened a can of worms. Many applicants allege that the process was rigged. They say all allocations were booked in less than 40 seconds of the online process starting. But the power minister has dismissed it as a case of sour grapes by those who couldn’t apply, saying the entire process was transparent.

On Thursday at around 11am, the state government, through the Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL), invited online applications from agricultural land owners to set up 1 to 3 MW solar projects. The total maximum capacity reserved under this category is 300MW. The forum was open to 300 to 600 applicants. With each MW costing Rs 7 cr, the total worth of the project crosses Rs 2,100 crore.

However, when a group from Hyderabad, who own agricultural lands around Bangalore, tried to upload forms, a message cropped up within 35 seconds saying all allocations were booked. “ Hundreds of people tried to log in and type application details. My friend could do it in 25 seconds. Before he could upload it, a message flashed that all allocations were booked,” said P Srinivas, adding many shared the same problem.

Ganapathiyappa R, a farmer , said the application has as many as five major fields and two to six sub-fields and it was not possible for many like him to process the application with a short span of time.

Another land owner said, “How can a farmer log in and type the application and do this kind of jugglery. Some political hands are trying to corner all the 300MW worth projects allocated. They have not even mentioned the unit rate for the takers,” he added.

Pradeep R, a land owner, said that he came from Hyderabad to Bangalore hoping better bandwidth would enable him to apply faster. “I am feeling helpless now,” he said, adding, “The website was active for only 26 seconds. Some friends attempted in five different ways to log in, via cable internet connection, BSNL landline connection, internet dongle in GSM network and CDMA network. But nothing worked.”

A senior KREDL official admitted that the process was over quickly, in under seven minutes.

It’s a transparent process: DKS

Power minister D K Shivakumar said the renewable energy tendering process was transparent and the publicity it was given, unprecedented. “As many as 9,800 people logged in as soon as the prescribed time for online applications began. We could accept only 300 to 600 applications. It is obvious that those who couldn’t make it are expressing unhappiness,” he added.

