As many as 160 tenders floated by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) in February have been cancelled after an investigation found that there were procedural lapses in the tendering process. The tenders were worth Rs 310 million. The cancelled tenders are for roads which were to be constructed or repaired in various lanes and by-lanes across the Assam capital.

Deputy Mayor Smita Roy, “In the council-mayor meeting held at Uzan Bazar on September 26 it was discussed that the tendering process of the 160 roads will be cancelled as the legal advisor to the urban local body, Advocate General Devajit Saikia, suggested this step.”

It is reported that the previous GMC Commissioner had asked the present Joint Commissioner Pankaj Chakravarty to enquire into the tendering process. After the enquiry it was found that there were procedural lapses in the process. The report was submitted to the GMC Commissioner who forwarded it to the Advocate General, who suggested the tenders should be cancelled.

The Advocate General has further asked that all previous tenders, the work orders of which are not yet issued, should be investigated. This means that other construction projects worth Rs 300 million will be probed.

The newly-elected councillors are yet to get the first instalment of the funds to start development works in their wards. Most of the funds by councillors are spent on road construction.

See also:
Thiruvananthapuram to scrap over 30 smart road projects
Hyderabad issues tenders for multiple road upgrade works