Rayagada: Concerned raised over alleged irregularities in tender process
By Chandra Bhanu Singh
Rayagada, Nov. 21: Emerging reports from Rayagada district have intensified public concern over alleged irregularities in the tendering and execution of government-funded projects. Citizens and local monitoring groups assert that despite repeated alerts, institutional silence from key authorities has allowed opaque practices to persist, potentially weakening the integrity of public spending.
The controversy deepened after Biswa Bhusan Mahapatra, the national coordinator of Chhatra Congress, publicly raised serious objections to the conduct of the tendering process. Mahapatra, who has been consistently vocal about governance lapses in the region, alleged that several tenders appear to have been processed in a manner that departs from established norms of fairness, competitive transparency, and procedural oversight.
In a significant claim, Mahapatra stated that his name was shown as a participant in a bid list despite his complete non-involvement in the process. The reference appeared in bid Sl No 2 vide letter No. 3077719 dated 13/11/25, which he described as “highly questionable” and indicative of potential misuse of individual identities or gaps in verification protocols. Such an incident, he stressed, raises fundamental concerns about data integrity and administrative accountability.
Compounding the unease, the Executive Engineer (EE)–cum–Superintending Engineer (SE)—positions critical to tender supervision and quality assurance—remain vacant even after promotions were issued. This prolonged leadership void has stalled decision-making, slowed ongoing project evaluations, and created what local observers describe as a structural vacuum where accountability becomes diffused and procedural safeguards weaken.
Community-level sources allege that certain high-value works continue without adequate scrutiny, enabling select contractors to operate with unusual autonomy. Concerns have been raised that weakened oversight could lead to financial inefficiencies, compromised quality standards, and long-term developmental setbacks for the district.
The reported non-responsiveness of the EE-cum-SE office to media queries has further heightened public suspicion, with residents demanding clarity on both administrative procedures and the status of recent tenders.
Civil society organisations and local governance advocates are now urging a transparent, time-bound review of all major tenders processed in recent months. They argue that reinstating procedural rigour—through strong verification systems, timely postings of key officials, and independent audits—is essential to rebuilding public confidence in the district’s development architecture.
As public scrutiny intensifies, Rayagada’s citizens hope that corrective institutional action will be undertaken with urgency, ensuring that development works proceed with integrity, transparency, and adherence to established norms.
