Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, January 8:

A group of contractors today accused the government and security officials in Parbat of being involved in irregularities while awarding tender to supply food ration to the Armed Police Force personnel. At a press conference the contractors, who came to the capital to uncover the corruption, claimed that they were not allowed to submit their bids as published in the Gorkhapatra daily by the Chandika Battalion, Chief District Officer and the chief of the Comptroller’s Office in Parbat. The contractors claimed that the APF did not allow 28 bidders to submit their bids and were kept like ‘captives’ when they reached the office on January 4. “The authorities, instead, invited their own party and declared him the winner,” said Shambhu Lal Devkota, a local contractor.

“The police force had invited a joint tender instead of encouraging individual bidders,” said Durga Das Ranjeet. “In such cases, the parties involved in the bid receive more commission but the service is of low quality.”

“The government should annul the bid and call fresh one,” he said.

The contractors said authorities concerned take undue advantage from such practices while the country loses billions of rupees. “We have met the Home Minister and if the problem is not resolved, we will resort to legal means,”Ranjeet said.

Representative of the Ashish Suppliers Suresh Panta said the police have returned the deposited amount to those who agreed in writing that they did not submit the bid on their own. He said the contractors came to the Valley to reveal corruption, as they were terrified to speak out in the district.