EMPOWERED STANDING COMMITTEE APPROVED THE PROJECT

EMPOWERED STANDING COMMITTEE APPROVED THE PROJECT

7-MARCH-ENG 6

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-------------------------A serious case of violation of rules has come to light in Ward 2 of Shahpur Nagar Panchayat. A plan was made to divide a single road into three separate sections and have the work done at the departmental level, avoiding the mandatory e-tendering process. Under the influence of the ward councilor, the Empowered Standing Committee approved these three projects, but new rules from the Urban Development and Housing Department have thwarted the councilor's intentions.

According to information, the road from NH-84 (the road leading to Takiya Mohalla) to Sarna-Bharauli Road has been divided into three sections: the first section from NH-84 to Saffiq Master, the second section from Kamruddin to Shivji Pandit's house, and the third section from Bajrangi's house to Bharouli Road. The strategy behind this entire affair was to avoid the complexities of e-tendering and have the work done at the departmental level.

According to previous rules, e-tendering was mandatory for works costing more than ₹15 lakh. Because of this, the ward councilor presented the same road as three separate projects and obtained approval from the Empowered Standing Committee.

However, new guidelines issued by the Urban Development and Housing Department through letter no. 2390, dated 25/02/2026, thwarted this strategy of the councilors. According to the new order, the e-tender process has now been made mandatory even for works costing less than ₹15 lakh.

Surprisingly, despite the change in rules and the mandatory e-tendering, when the councilor attempted to begin construction on the road, he faced strong opposition from local residents. The villagers argue that the road is currently in perfect and sound condition, and re-paving it is not only unnecessary but also a waste of government funds.

Recognizing the seriousness of the matter, local resident Naseem Shah has submitted a complaint to the city's Executive Officer. In this application, strong objection has been raised on dividing the same road into three parts and a demand has been made to conduct an impartial investigation of the entire matter and take appropriate action.