KATHMANDU: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case against 15 individuals, including a sitting provincial assembly member of Madhesh Province, over irregularities in the construction of a hospital.
Those charged include Dipendra Kumar Thakur, the then managing director of Lumbini/D&N JV and D&N Builders Pvt. Ltd., and Bishnu Prasad Sharma, the then managing director of Lumbini Builders Pvt. Ltd. Thakur is currently a member of the Madhesh Provincial Assembly.
According to the CIAA, corruption occurred from the very start of the tender process for the construction of a 15-bed primary hospital in Aurahi Rural Municipality-2, Dhanusha. The estimated cost of the project was approximately Rs 244.3 million.
The commission found that the tender deadline was deliberately extended by altering the core procedures to benefit a limited number of companies. Bidders who offered lower prices were disqualified during the technical evaluation, and the contract was awarded to a higher-priced firm.
Furthermore, the CIAA stated that the criteria for bid evaluation were changed at the last moment with the intent to exclude competition. As a result, the state reportedly suffered a loss of Rs 67.9 million.
Along with Thakur, the accused include members of the bid evaluation committee and former officials of Aurahi Rural Municipality, such as then-chair Brahmadev Yadav, then-vice chair Mira Devi Sahani, and then-chief administrative officer Subodh Kumar Thakur.
CIAA spokesperson Yagya Raj Regmi confirmed that the charges were filed at the Special Court, claiming violations of the Corruption Prevention Act and seeking action against the accused. The irregularities are said to have occurred under the Integrated Health Infrastructure Development Programme for fiscal year 2020/21.
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