AIZAWL:
A newly launched organisation has filed a written complaint against chief minister Zoramthanga to the Lokayukta, on April 12.
Mizoram First, a body of social workers led by former Mizoram chief secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo, has accused the chief minister of showing undue favouritism while allotting contract works for the ongoing renovation of Lengpui Airport.
According to the complaint, the chief minister awarded several contracts for work on the state’s lone airport to his nephew Zoramchhana and KR Construction, owned by Kamlova Chhangte, through restricted tenders.
In its complaint, the organisation has urged the Lokayukta to charge Zoramthanga, who also holds the PWD portfolio, under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for “violating Article 14 of the Indian Constitution, Rule 162 of General Financial Rules and several notifications of Vigilance Commission” by “indulging in undue favouritism and nepotism.”
“As there was no need for using restricted tenders in airport renovation works, the chief minister, who holds the public works portfolio, violated Article 14 of the Constitution and several other financial rules,” the complaint said.
The basic characteristic of restricted tender is that competition is confined to a certain number of firms because only a few firms are qualified to fulfil the specific type of requirement or certain conditions.
“In the case of Lengpui Airport renovation, only three firms were invited. Secondly, given the fact that only three flights operated daily in the airport, the renovation works were not that urgent. Thirdly, looking at the quality of the contractors’ works, the firms don’t seem to have special equipment which other firms don’t have,” Mizoram First said in its complaint.
Under General Financial Rules 2017 and the Mizoram Public Procurement Rules, 2020, restricted tenders for works above Rs 25 lakhs should be used when the works are urgent, on the condition that tenders are not costlier than open/advertised tenders, and only the selected firms are qualified for the jobs (they have special equipment), and lastly, bidders of the tenders should not be less than three, the complaint read.
It may be recalled that the under-construction baggage make-up area, which renovation was allotted to KR Construction, collapsed on March 11. The complaint further added that it was revealed during the recent Budget Session that KR Construction bagged several lucrative government contracts, worth Rs 40.92 crore, from the chief minister’s departments in the last two years while Zoramchhana has bagged Rs 75.76 crore worth contracts under the chief minister’s departments.