CIAA scraps Baglung hospital tender

BAGLUNG, April 27: The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has directed that the tender offer opened for the construction of Baglung Hospital´s building in Burtibang be scrapped.



Citing huge financial irregularly in the tender process, the anti-graft body directed that the tender offer announced by the Urban Development and Building Construction Division office at Baglung be repealed. CIAA further directed that a new tender offer be announced, claiming that an ongoing tender offer of Rs 80 million was rigged. [break]



Investigating a complaint filed at the CIAA claiming that the authorities concerned willfully bypassed the e-bidding process for two tenders, the anti-graft body had found irregularity in the bidding process.



The tender offer was announced last October and six construction companies filled the bid documents. “We were in the process of awarding the contract as per the rules and regulations but we scrapped the process following the CIAA directive,” said Kishor Lal Mahaju, Building Division chief in Baglung.



As per the Public Procurement Act-2007, the Urban Development and Building Construction Division office at Baglung had to conduct e-bidding to choose the contractor. However, the office processed bids made through hard copy submissions, citing a directive to do so from the World Bank.



“As per the Public Procurement Act, bid documents should be submitted online. But acting as per the World Bank directive, we processed the tender bids submitted in hard copy,” Mahaju added.



According to a letter signed by CIAA investigation officer Hari Shrestha and sent to the Urban Development and Building Construction Division office in Baglung, investigations showed that the bidding process was fradulent.



CIAA has directed Baglung District Police Office to initiate action against Tundi Construction, GM Construction Pvt. Ltd., Jaya Om Construction Service Pvt. Ltd., Sobarn Construction Service and Jateshwor Construction Service for their involvement in submitting fake documents to win the contract.

Following the CIAA directive, a process has been started for opening a new tender.

According to Mahaju, it will take around one more year to complete the new bidding process.



Meanwhile, with regard to the Rs 100 million tender opened for the construction of Dhaulagiri hospital, the anti-graft body has sent its findings to the World Bank after finding no problems with the tender.

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