The Bihar government has cancelled tenders for rural water supply works worth ₹3,600 crore floated during the previous Mahagathbandhan regime, Public Health Engineering Minister Niraj Kumar Singh said on Friday.
Addressing a press conference, Mr. Singh said the decision was taken after an inquiry conducted by the department found that due process was not followed in floating these tenders and adequate areas were not covered.
"The department has cancelled tenders worth ₹3,600 crore related to the rural water supply system given during the previous Mahagathbandhan government. Earlier, we had cancelled 350 tenders, worth ₹826 crore, of the PHE Department. So far, the department has cancelled tenders worth more than Rs 4,400 that were finalised during the previous government," he said.
"Investigations revealed that due process was not followed in the tender process, and also adequate areas were not covered. Now, the department will float revised tenders for the work at the earliest," he added.
These tenders were related to the rural water supply works, including the installation of hand pumps and mini water supply systems, Mr. Singh said.
"I recently called a meeting of senior officials of the department after getting the investigation reports. Following that meeting, the order was issued to cancel these tenders," he said.
RJD leader Lalit Yadav was the PHED minister during the previous government.
A total of 1,160 tenders, worth ₹4600 crore, of the PHE Department were floated during the previous government, Mr. Singh said, refusing to reveal details about the irregularities detected.
"We have so far installed 1,500 hand pumps in different parts of the state. The process to install 3,000 more hand pumps in the new areas is on," he said.
The government has decided to install solar mini piped water supply systems with treatment units in rural areas of the state, the minister said.
In January, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar snapped his ties with the RJD and returned to the BJP-led NDA. Soon after the NDA returned to power, the government ordered a review of all the decisions taken by the departments held by RJD ministers.
