Bidders show no interest in tender for temple work

Chennai: Tenders for temple maintenance, which contractors actively bid for in the past, have seen few takers since temples have remained closed to devotees for the past four months.

Since mid-May, the Hindu religious and charitable endowments department (HR&CE) has invited bids on nearly 70 tenders for a work including outsourcing of security, house-keeping services, supplying material for temples, construction and collection of offerings to temples across the state.

But only a few tenders that can generate quick gains have seen traction among the bidders . The tenders, excluding ones for constructing, restoring temple tanks, were worth around Rs 7.2 crore.

For instance, tenders floated recently by Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple at Palani , Subramaniya Swamy Temple in Tiruchendur and Arunachaleswarar Temple at Tiruvannamalai to collect and process hair offered by devotees did not find any takers. The collective worth of the tenders floated by the popular shrines was Rs 60 lakh. Similarly, none bid for tenders for collection of coconuts offered, livestock donated and shops at the Tiruchendur temple — these were among favourites to earn profits.

The main reason for the lack of bidders was that for the contractors’ profit depended on the temple footfalls. “The tender pertaining to collection of hair was bid for Rs 5 lakh last year, but none grabbed it this year because temples are shut for devotees,” an official from the Tiruvannamalai temple said. However, another tender for the same temple for outsourcing security services had takers.

A HR&CE official was quick to add that the trend will soon reverse. “This is only a temporary effect due to Covid-19. Things will bounce back to normalcy within a week of the temples reopening,” he said.

Though the state government allowed reopening small temples, the bigger temples that attract tens of thousands of devotees remain closed.