PATNA: The Bihar Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) has cancelled a contract worth Rs 4,000 crore, initially signed during the previous grand alliance regime, citing serious irregularities.
State Public Health Engineering Minister Neeraj Kumar Bablu announced on Friday that the department would issue a new tender, aiming to complete the process within a month, with work commencing in August.
Providing further details, the minister explained that the previous contract, intended to ensure the smooth supply of drinking water under the chief minister’s ambitious ‘Nal Jal Yojana’ scheme, was canceled after a complaint was found to be valid.
A probe revealed that several villages and mohallas were not covered under the old tender. “Our department will ensure that these villages and mohallas are connected, making sure that not a single house is left out,” Bablu added. The cancellation is set to become a major political issue, as the opposition RJD plans to oppose the government’s action.