Senior official suspended for issuing work order sans approval
2 min readPatna: The state government on Friday suspended Bihar Livestock Development Agency (BLDA) project director Kritya Nand Lal Das for issuing work orders worth about Rs90 crore to a single-bidder NGO without taking mandatory approval from finance department and other competent authorities in the animal and fisheries resources department (AFRD).
The work orders, which were awaiting approval of competent authorities in the animal and fisheries department for months, were issued hurriedly on January 20, 2014, just a day before the joining of new principal secretary Subhash Sharma in the department.
Sources said, Sharma who detected the anomalies during routine processing of files, reported the matter to higher authorities, including CM Nitish Kumar. The suspension order was issued on Friday following approval of the CM.
Sources further said the animal and fisheries department in January 2013 invited an expression of interest (EOI) from registered NGOs for establishment of around 2,500 livestock development centres (LDCs) across the state to bring breeding services for cows and buffaloes at farmers’ doorsteps through artificial insemination using frozen semen. It was planned to perform an average 15 lakh artificial insemination each year using semen of quality bulls through the LDCs. The registered NGOs were asked to submit project proposals in two bid system – technical and financial.
Responding to EOI, a dozen of registered NGOs from across the country submitted their bids. But technical bid of only one bidder, J K Trust Gram Vikas Yojna, Thane (Maharasthra), was found as per the norms. Hence, the financial bid of only J K Trust was opened and the tender committee recommended for awarding the project to it.
As the project was being awarded to the single bidder, Das, as per rules, had to seek necessary approval from the competent authorities in the animal and fisheries department before taking mandatory approval from the finance department and the state cabinet.
The department last week issued a show-cause notice to Das asking him to reply as to why actions should not be taken against him. Das, sources said, in his reply admitted his fault and prayed for pardon but the department notification rejected his plea, saying, “the issuance of work order of huge amount without complying with necessary formalities reveals your mala fide intention and vested interest. Your reply to the show-cause notice is unsatisfactory.”
Courtesy: TNN
