The ‘108’ emergency management services has come in the news again with the High Court issuing stay orders on the government’s bid to allot the contract of operations and maintenance of the service to another player called BVG India.
As the MoU signed jointly by the State government and the GVK EMRI to operate and maintain the ambulance service for five years in 2011 has lapsed by the end of September, the State government decided to replace the 10-year-old firm with the new player to continue the services. Though the GVK has got through the qualification process, the government’s tilt has been towards the new firm, forcing the GVK to approach the High Court.
“The government of Andhra Pradesh has floated recently a tender for selecting a new bidder for providing the ‘108’ emergency service and selected consortium of the BVG and the UKSAS. There have been allegations on the short-listed bidder, as they do not have adequate technical capabilities as per the eligibility criteria prescribed by the government,” says K. Krishnam Raju, Director of the GVK EMRI.
“The High Court, however, has directed the State government to stay the proceedings of the tender till further orders,” he explains.
Established in 2005, the free ambulance service penetrated every nook and corner of the State within no time and the GVK EMRI has managed to expand its vistas to 15 States and two Union Territories in a short span.
