Mizoram Cong leader alleges massive misuse of restricted tenders under successive governments

Aizawl, Jul 10 (PTI) Senior Congress leader TT Zothansanga on Friday accused both the previous Mizo National Front (MNF) government and the present Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) administration of awarding contracts through opaque and questionable processes. Addressing a political session at the Congress Bhavan here, he claimed that the governments of his party never misused the restricted tender system and said that it had used them only in exceptional circumstances and never in a manner that attracted public criticism. “The Congress government resorted to restricted tenders only when necessary. There was nothing controversial about the practice during our tenure, and we never misused it,” the former MLA said. Launching a sharp attack on the previous MNF government, Zothansanga alleged that restricted tenders worth Rs. 862.12 crore were awarded in the Public Works Department and Sports Department alone. He further alleged that two individuals, who happened to be the relatives of the then Chief Minister Zoramthanga, received contracts worth a combined Rs 211.91 crore, which he described as an instance of excessive favouritism. The Congress leader also targeted the incumbent ZPM government, accusing it of abandoning its pre-poll promises on transparency in public contracting. He recalled that ZPM leaders had repeatedly criticised the MNF government for allegedly violating tender rules and had pledged to end the practice of restricted tenders altogether. According to Zothansanga, the ZPM manifesto had promised to discontinue restricted tenders, arguing that such practices were contrary to established norms and deprived registered contractors of fair opportunities. However, he alleged, soon after assuming office, the ZPM empanelled 328 consultancy firms and subsequently issued orders allowing them to undertake works through restricted tender and departmental execution mechanisms. He also claimed that Chief Minister Lalduhoma granted blanket approval for projects worth Rs 629.17 crore under Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme and other works involving the empanelled firms, bringing the total value of approved projects to Rs 957.17 crore. Calling it unprecedented in Mizoram’s contracting history, Zothansanga alleged that 135 projects worth Rs 986.71 crore had already been awarded through the Chief Minister’s office. Citing a Congress review of government departments, he said the party had examined 14 major departments so far and found that restricted tenders worth Rs 4,636.98 crore and departmental works worth Rs 910.64 crore had been awarded, taking the total value of projects scrutinised to Rs 5,547.63 crore. He added that more than 15 departments were yet to be examined. Zothansanga also alleged that several contracts that could have been executed by local contractors were instead awarded to firms from outside the state. There is no immediate reaction from the MNF and ZPM on the accusations. PTI CORR NN