Following registration of the tender applications, a group of disgruntled contractors tore up the applications, according to DHO Rautahat. The office had called tender bids around a month ago for the supply of 84 different types of medicines worth Rs 2.6 million.
A total of 19 suppliers of pharmaceuticals, including Navin Pharmacy, Lav Medical, Pravin Medical Hall and Mahesh Medicine, had registered tender applications at the DHO within the deadline.
According to eyewitnesses, DHO officials and security personnel deployed there remained mute spectators when a group of contractors tore up the registered applications. The incident took place around noon on Friday, the deadline for the tender bids.
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The group entered the office of the DHO superintendent and tore up 19 sealed tender applications and the register in which they were recorded.
Meanwhile, Mahesh Yadav, proprietor of Mahesh Medical and one of the tender applicants, alleged that contractors who failed to influence the contract decision before the deadline had torn up the applications in an attempt to foil the tender process.
Contractors who put in tender bids alleged the involvement of Duryodhan Prasad Chandrabansi, acting chief of the DHO, as the incident took place in his presence.
However, Chandrabansi, in a letter to the district Administration Office and District Police Office, informed that the tender process has been canceled because of the incident and a new process would begin.
According to DSP Sanubabu Thapaliya, an investigation into the incident is underway. Police personnel were mobilized to arrest those involved in the incident, he informed.
