Government Tender Rules Questioned as Private Firms Favoured in Rs89,000 Laptop Deal

The YSRCP student wing has raised concerns that the Andhra Pradesh Education Department ignored the ‘Make in India’ and GEM (Government e-Marketplace) guidelines while awarding a high‑value laptop contract.

The deal, worth Rs 89,000 per laptop, was split with 70 % of the supply going to Shanbe and the remaining 30 % to Selcon, according to Ravichandra.

He highlighted that Assam’s education department purchased identical specifications through GEM for Rs 38,501, questioning why Andhra Pradesh is paying more than double that amount.

The student leader argued that the tender’s self‑declaration clause replaced mandatory manufacturer details, effectively weakening the procurement process.

He demanded the cancellation of the current tenders, a suspension of further purchases, and a thorough CBI inquiry into the alleged irregularities.