The contract expires on August 16 and a fresh one is yet to be issued

As many as 87 Indira Canteens in the city may not serve food from August 17, as one of the caterers had not received the order extending the contract, which will end on August 16.

The State government’s online portal for procurement was recently shut down, delaying all contracts and tenders, after it was reportedly hacked into. The portal is expected to reopen on August 19. The fresh technical bids for Indira Canteens were supposed to be opened on August 9.

“We have not received any communication from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) regarding extension of the contract, except through media reports. If we do not get the order, we will stop the catering from August 17,” said Madhu Gowda, administrative officer of Rewards, one of the two contractors serving Indira Canteens.

He said Rewards would bid again for the new tender. “We will bid again for the new tender. Since the BBMP wants reputed and experienced contractors, we fit the bill. We are hoping to get the contract again,” he added.

An official of the other contractor, Chef Talk, said they would meet the BBMP Commissioner soon to sort out the issue.

BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad told The Hindu that the present contracts will be extended till the new contracts are finalised, as the e-portal is not working and might take more time to be fixed. “Once the bids are opened, we will need around 15 days to finalise the contract and sign it. Till then, the existing contractors will continue. We will ensure that the process is finished as soon as possible,” he said. “As the portal is maintained by the State government, we do not have any powers over it,” he added.

A senior official in the BBMP said that the shutdown of the e-portal had delayed various BBMP projects and contracts, including the ones related to Indira Canteens and garbage. “The officials concerned have assured that they will fix the problem by August 19,” he said.