Tenders and such stuff

The bureaucracy thrives on absurdity and on vengeance. After my run in with the AO last week I expected revenge. And sure it came.
To do animal cell culture work we need special room. Every faculty prudently maintains one out of their project money. It saves hassles. However, lacking funding I decided to renovate the existing animal cell culture facility of the department using department money. For the facility we need a pump. It was priced at Rs 8100/-. As another faculty in the department had purchased it just few months back, I decided to place a repeat order. The pump was installed. The bill came to us for payment. As it is a departmental affair, I passed the bill to the AO. The AO comes back to me: where are the three quotations that says this is the cheapest one? Where is the purchase committee approval? Where is the supply order?
I explained that this was a repeat order so there was no need to get three quotations. It is less than Rs 50,000 so there is no need for a purchase committee approval. And if you want a supply order, I will give you one with a back date.
The AO is not happy. His explanation- which I am sure some babu can understand and appreciate-is that this is being purchased from departmental money. And the faculty who purchased it before me had done so using his project money. Therefore, an order that was placed for an equipment to be paid out of the project money cannot be repeated if it is to be ordered via departmental money.
Go figure!
I can now empathize with BSNL when they plead with CVC to do away with tenders.