Bihar Tender Scam: Major action in the ‘Rishu Shree’ case, then Joint Secretary of Finance Department Mumukshu Chaudhary suspended; Bihar Tender Scam: Major action in the ‘Rishu Shree’ case; Mumukshu Chaudhary, the then Joint Secretary of the Finance Department, suspended.

Samrat Chaudhary government has taken another major action in the famous ‘Rishu Shree Tender Scam’ case which has created a stir in the political and administrative corridors of Bihar. Bihar Administrative Service (BAS) officer and then Joint Secretary Mumukshu Choudhary, posted in the state Finance Department, has been suspended by the government with immediate effect. The suspension follows a 4,000-page chargesheet filed by the Special Vigilance Unit (SVU) against seven accused, in which Mumukshu Chaudhary’s name figures prominently.

Tender Scam: What is the whole game?

According to the investigating agencies, Patna-based contractor Rishu Ranjan Sinha alias Rishu Shree had formed a syndicate which ‘managed’ the tenders in connivance with top officials of government departments. The main function of this syndicate was to set the eligibility conditions and technical parameters according to its preferred firms even before the tender was issued. In return, Rishu Shree used to take a commission of 7 to 10 percent of the total cost of the tender, a large part of which reached government officials and influential people. During the raid by ED and SVU, cash worth crores was also recovered from the residence of Mumukshu Chaudhary.

tighten the noose on officials

Samrat Chaudhary government has adopted a policy of ‘zero tolerance’ regarding this matter. Till now, everyone from IAS officers to engineers and administrative service officers have been hit in this scam. After the arrest of Rishu Shri, SVU conducted raids in many districts, in which it became clear that Rishu had illegally obtained tenders worth crores in districts like Sitamarhi and Saharsa during the posting of Mumukshu Chaudhary. The law is now tightening its grip against this network that has defrauded the government exchequer of crores.

Government’s clear message: Shortcut path leads to jail

Recently, during the Vigilance Awareness Week, Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary has given a strong message saying that now there is no way for ‘shortcuts’ in the government system in Bihar. He has made it clear that no officer or public representative involved in corruption will be spared. This strictness of the government shows that in the coming times, major technical and administrative reforms can be made to make the tender process more transparent. The scope of investigation into this scam is continuously increasing, due to which many more big faces are likely to be exposed.