Railways scraps tender after vendors complain specs might favour Chinese firm: Sources

Following rising anti-China sentiment post violent standoff at LAC, sources have reported that Railways have scrapped a tender for rmal cameras after receiving feedback from vendors that specifications mentioned for procurement of equipment may have favoured a Chinese company. According to PTI sources, tender for 800 such cameras was floated by Railway PSU RailTel last month for AI-based surveillance cameras that measure body temperatures of individuals and even detect wher a person is wearing a mask or t. Earlier, Indian railways had terminated a Chinese company's contract worth Rs 471 crores pertaining to signalling and telecommunication work. 

"We received representation from or vendors that y can also offer solution. Hence, to have wider participation and competition, we have cancelled Expression of Interest (EOI) and are going in for open EOI," PTI quoted RailTel spokesperson. 

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Sources, however, said tender was scrapped after many Indian vendors in letters to RailTel raised concerns that specifications mentioned in tender favoured Chinese company Hikvision, one of world's largest video surveillance companies which currently dominates India's CCTV market. 

"Specifications issued are biased to Chinese OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) i.e. Hikvision, Specs clearly mentioned DeepinMind techlogy which is a proprietary feature of Hikvision NVRs," one of letters accessed by PTI from an Indian vendor to RailTel said. 

READ | Amid India-China Faceoff, Railway PSU Cancels Chinese Company's Contract Worth 471 Crore

India bans Chinese Apps

This move comes two days after India banned 59 Chinese Apps including Tik-Tok. Centre has stated that it has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of se apps for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers that have locations outside India. Hence, in a move to protect sovereignty of Indian Cyber and to ensure interests of crores of Indian mobile users, government has stated that this was a major blow to China’s Digital Silk Route ambitions, amid ongoing India-China standoff at Line of Actual Control (LAC).

READ | DOT Writes To PMO & MHA, Confirms Prohibition Of All Chinese Equipment For BSNL/MTNL

Chinese goods boycott sentiment

After 20 soldiers were martyred at LAC, several groups across nation have protested against sale of Chinese goods. Moreover, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL)- a PSU under aegis of Ministry of Railways has terminated a Chinese company’s contract. BCCI too has called a council meeting to rethink its sponsorship from Chinese companies. Centre too has taken several steps to decrease Chinese imports to make India more self-reliant. Apart from se, recently several Indian companies with Chinese funding have faced ire of public as 'ban Chinese goods' sentiment grows stronger.

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