Sirsa: Contractors allege foul play in bidding process

Sirsa, June 21

A bidding session took place at the Municipal Council on Wednesday to clear debris from the buildings of the old Education Department, near the city police station. However, the event was marked by disagreements among contractors.

They alleged that they arrived on time but were barred entry as the officials closed the gates. They said they suspected foul play. The officials countered by saying they stopped those people from, entering who had arrived late and provided video evidence. Notably, the Education Department buildings, long vacant and in a dilapidated state, stand prominently opposite the police station. The Municipal Council intends to replace them with a multipurpose parking lot. A similar bidding attempt had failed a year ago when contractors forfeited their security deposits.

On Wednesday, contractors were given until 11am to participate in the new bid, requiring a security deposit of Rs 50,000 through online, cash or bank draft payments. Early arrivals were accommodated at Executive Officer Atar Singh’s office before the gate closed. Outside, around 30 contractors protested exclusion, claiming favouritism and irregularities. They alleged some were turned away despite being on the list for lacking a bank draft. Officials declined cash or online payments after the deadline.

After the bidding ended at noon, all contractors gathered at EO Atar’s office for discussions. Tensions rose during a 15-minute exchange. Contractors argued they were ready to bid Rs 10 lakh but alleged officials favoured a bid of Rs 4,32,000. One contractor noted accepting a similar contract last year for Rs 9,00,000. EO Atar questioned why the security deposit was forfeited and why the work was incomplete.

Contractors Jagroop Singh and Dinesh flayed the same-day bid advertisement in the newspaper as opposed to those issued typically a week in advance, suggesting suspicions of collusion. Meanwhile, Atar explained that the bidding for debris removal was to start at 11 am, and contractors arriving within 10 minutes were included.