Bihar govt scraps Rs 826 cr contracts from previous regime

Patna: The NDA government in Bihar has cancelled 350 contracts worth

Rs 826 crore, which were awarded during the previous ‘Mahagathbandhan’ dispensation in the state for supplying drinking water in rural areas, a minister said on Tuesday.

The decision to cancel the contracts was taken after an inquiry by the Public Health Engineering Department revealed that there were “irregularities in the process of selecting contractors”, he said.

“During the previous grand alliance regime in the state, many contracts were awarded by the department. An inquiry by the department revealed that due process was not followed in awarding 350 contracts worth Rs 826 crore. These were related to the rural water supply, including the installation of hand pumps and mini water supply systems,” PHED Minister Niraj Kumar Singh said. The department has handed over the preliminary inquiry report to the competent authority in the state government for a thorough probe, he said.