Want to bag work order? Pay bribe

Manoj Shrestha

BIRATNAGAR: Rampant corruption plagues tender trade in Morang district. Going by the recent trend, youths are mobilised to bag lucrative tenders. And contractors are willing to cough up between 12 and 22 percent depending on the volume of the

work order.

Who all are beneficiaries of the underhand deal? Sources claim a lion’s share is pocketed by politicians, police and government employees.

The district alone accounts for work order worth Rs 100 crore, according to Construction Entrepreneurs Organisation, Morang. At a conservative estimate, Rs 15 crore is set aside for kickbacks. However, contractors peg it to a whopping Rs 35 crore. The amount of the commission is the determining factor as far as clinching the deal is

concerned.

In Biratnagar, tenders are usually floated for infrastructure sectors like road, irrigation, construction of building. District Development Committee and the municipality are the government agencies who invite bid for tenders.

No wonder, fracas over tender is a common occurrence. At last count, 20 cases have been reported over the past year or so.

Usually, clashes break out between rival groups while filling forms or discord over kickback sum.

Karan Yadav, a Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum supporter, was killed last year while submitting the tender form at DDC, Morang.

Sources allege Nepali Congress cadres had bumped him off. At stake was a commission of Rs 1 crore. Sample this: Rs 6.2 million was spent on commission to bag a contract for the construction of a bridge at Ratuakhola last year.

Underworld don Deepak Manange allegedly got a lion’s share for a tender worth Rs 9 crore. The commission amount for this work order was around Rs 45 lakh.

Similarly, Rs 8.4 lakh was pocketed by the tender mafia for a Rs 2-crore drinking water project.

On July 7, trouble broke out between rival groups when the Town Residential and Building Division Office, Biratnagar, invited bid for the renovation of government buildings and Koshi Zonal Hospital.

Dipak Poudel, a contractor, admitted that hooliganism and malpractices were rife in his trade.