RLDA: Acting Against Spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat—A Case of Incompetence & Malice

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#Railwhispers has raised significant concerns about transparency and fairness in decision-making processes. The platform has championed the cause of officers who have been wronged by unscrupulous vendors, as well as vendors who have been exploited by the greed of corrupt officers.

We received a complaint concerning procurement of customised furniture for Rail Bhawan by the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA). Although RLDA, as the buyer, is entitled to select their preferred products, several issues have emerged indicating that the case was managed with incompetence and insensitivity. This also shows that the concerns repeatedly raised by the Honourable Prime Minister regarding bureaucratic shortcomings still need to be addressed by leadership of Ministry of Railways as RLDA is its Authority.

Time line

  • 30.10.2025: RFP Notice No. RLDA/2025/RFP/DP/01 of 2025 Dated 30.10.2025 for “Manufacturing Customised furniture and fixing with all required Fittings and Accessories at designated place/ room at Rail Bhawan, Raisina Road, Rafi Marg, New Delhi-110001.” For estimated price of Rs 13.39 crore.
  • 26.11.2025: Opening of e-Bids at 15:30 Hrs.
  • 28.11.2025: Corrigendum No. 04-due date shifted to 17.12.2025
  • 02.12.2025: Corrigendum No. 05
  • 02.12.2025: Addendum No. 02 this kind of restricted scope of participation to Godrej Interio / Steelcase / Featherlite / Haworth / Naumi / Herman Miller/Durian.

Incompetence Rules

RLDA famously replaced IRSDCL and has been known for its failure to monetise land parcels and station development of even stations like New Delhi.

Competence to even do tenders like that of furniture gets exposed. This is curse of All India Delhi Service (#AIDS) and Khan Market Gang (#KMG).

Irregular Extension and Addendum in a RLDA Tender

Over one month the tender transformed to limit scope of participation to foreign and large scale companies by effectively disqualifying Indian Bidders even those who had submitted the EMD/Bid security well before original deadlines.

Following procedural irregularities that appear to undermine the principles of transparency, fairness, and equal opportunity for domestic bidders:

  • Unjustified Extensions: The tender submission deadline was extended twice without adequate justification or prior notice to all stakeholders. This created unnecessary uncertainty and disrupted our preparation timelines.
  • Last-Minute Addendum on 02.12.2025: On the fag end of the bid submission date (01.12.2025), an addendum was issued on 02.12.2025, arbitrarily introducing eligibility for USA, Germany, and Chinese bidders while disqualifying Indian participants who had already complied with the original terms and submitted their EMD. This change effectively nullifies our submission, rendering our ₹8 Lakhs EMD at risk without recourse.

The Companies introduced in addendum—Here is the country of origin for each brand listed, serial number wise:

  1. Godrej Interio – India
  2. Steelcase – United States
  3. Featherlite – United States
  4. Haworth – United States
  5. Naumi – (The name is of Hebrew/Japanese origin but no clear brand origin found)
  6. Herman Miller – United States
  7. Durian – India

These actions bias towards foreign entities, potentially violating the “Make in India” initiative and procurement guidelines under the General Financial Rules (GFR) 2017, which emphasise equitable treatment for local bidders. It raises questions about the impartiality of the tender process and erodes trust in RLDA’s operations. This is in clear contravention of the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

To restore credibility of process, following needs to be done:

  • Ministry should look in to this incompetence conduct.
  • Investigation and Accountability: A thorough inquiry into the extensions and addendum issuance, with appropriate disciplinary measures against the responsible officials (GM/IT/Tender/Accounts) to prevent recurrence.

EMD to MSMEs should be refunded to help increase cash flow of small Indian entrepreneurs.

Withdrawal of the 02.12.2025 addendum to restore the original eligibility criteria, allowing Indian bidders to participate on equal footing.

Extended Submission Window: A fair opportunity for all pre-qualified Indian bidders to resubmit under transparent guidelines.