PABNA, Feb 1: The to Illegal intervention by a section of . armed gangsters engaged under cover of an Influential political party, the authorities of different development agencies of the f'.overnment. were allegedly be-ng unable to freely call for tenders and hold "lotteries" as per instructions issued by the higher authorities.
An official of government department in Pabna told on condition of anonymity, the officers of the concerned departments were helplessly distributing 'work order' to the contractor according to the dictation of the said armed gangsters and mastaans.
The source told that ultimately the development work would suffer and work as per specification would also not be done, it is being widely apprehended.
Meanwhile. 23 contractor of Water Development Board, Pabna. in a recent written allegation informed that in collusion with a particular group of contractor, the Executive Engineer. Water Development Board. Bera, distributed work under different schemes with financial allotment of Tk 3
crore and 25 lakh recently defying all rules and directives.
They alleged that they had submitted tenders duly against work of group No 1. 2. 3 and 4 according to the advertisements issued in the newspapers by the Executive engineer. WDB, Bera and were waiting for the lottery but ultimately, the work was distributed without holding any lottery.
When asked by this correspondent, an official of the PBD. told The Daily Star that on a previous occasion, holding of lottery was attempted but a member of armed gangsters foiled the attempt by creating terror through hurling bombs around the office of the WDB at Bera. The programme of holding lottery was suspended on that day. Ultimately on a subsequent day. the works were distributed among certain contractor of a particular group without holding lottery with a view to avoid the trouble and get the work done. He, however, admitted that things were not "properly done" but for them, it was unavoidable due to the intervention of the mastaans under the alleged cover of a powerful political group.
On January 26 again, when the tender box was going to be opened in the Pabna office of the LGED. a few youngsters forcibly entered into the office* of the Executive Engineer and snatched away all the tender documents.
According to an official source, when the contractors went to submit their respective tenders, the said group of young men obstructed arid asked them not to submit.
Defying them, some of the intending contractors, submitted their tender applications.
The tenders were invited against works of 22 groups under the ADP and accordingly the tenders were invited.
Similar incident also occurred about three weeks back in the office of the Project Director. Water Development Board. Pabna and ultimately, without holding any "lottery’’ as was to be done according to the rules and also to the notification. all the works were distributed against a few contractors of the choice of an armed group of young men, all belonging to a powerful political party, alleged a frustrated contractor of the WDB in Pabna.