CORRUPTION CONTINUES UNABATED

CORRUPTION CONTINUES UNABATED

1-OCT-ENG 2

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA------------------------Following the 'Lantern Era' of Lalu Yadav, the Nitish administration's 'Good Governance' regime heavily publicized the extensive improvements made to the electricity system as a hallmark of development. The general public not only believes but also feels that the era of erratic power supply—the game of hide-and-seek with electricity—has ended, and villages are now brightly illuminated. At election rallies, Nitish's leaders would ask, "You aren't charging your mobile phones using generators anymore, are you? This is the Nitish government; just plug your mobile directly into the socket."

"You are getting a smooth 20-hour power supply, aren't you?" they would ask, and the public would respond with thunderous applause, never tiring of cheering for Nitish Kumar. Yet, in 2024, the Bihar Government's Health Department effectively contradicted this narrative of a reliable power supply by acknowledging that electricity arrangements in government hospitals remain inadequate, leaving reliance on generators as the only viable option. A decision was made to issue fresh tenders to ensure uninterrupted power via generator systems in government hospitals. All districts began the process of tendering for generators. The Patna District Health Society published a tender (Reference No. 1325, dated 16/09/2024) to provide generator services at a fixed monthly rate for PHCs, Referral Hospitals, and District Hospitals. Six companies participated, but only two were deemed eligible—a fact noted in the official letter (Reference No. 1543, dated 25/10/2024). Ultimately, one of the two eligible companies was selected for a three-year contract. Prior to 2025, the cost of operating a generator at the district's Primary Health Centre (PHC) was ₹87 per hour; even if there was a power outage of eight hours a day, a monthly bill of ₹20,880 (calculated at ₹696 daily) would have been considered reasonable. Yet, amidst significant irregularities, the Health Department—despite Nitish Kumar’s uninterrupted power supply system—left no stone unturned in portraying the situation as a return to the "lantern era."

While operations were previously managed for ₹21,000, the then-Health Minister Mangal Pandey set a monthly budget of ₹60,000 for PHC generators, while fixing amounts between ₹1.5 lakh and ₹2.5 lakh for referral and district hospitals—thereby facilitating a game of corruption across all districts. The corrupt practices surrounding generator tenders—which began with a massive scam during Mangal Pandey’s tenure—have continued unabated under Health Minister Nishant Kumar.

The Health Department not only orchestrated this massive generator scam but also likely received direct kickbacks for favoring two specific companies across all districts of South Bihar. Tenders for PHCs, referral hospitals, and district hospitals in 18 districts were awarded to these two companies. One company is based in Nalanda district, while the other lists its office in Patna, though its owners are reportedly from Jehanabad district. At no point during the tendering process were these companies asked about their generator inventory, the source of procurement, or whether the equipment met required standards. Some sources indicate that the generators installed in the hospitals are quite old and fail to meet pollution control (PUCC) norms. The two companies awarded the three-year generator contract have subcontracted the work to existing generator operators at rates lower than ₹87—reportedly because the power supply in the area is reliable. If the contractors were aware that the state's power supply is dependable, why did the Health Department—effectively harking back to the "lantern era"—award the generator tender at rates two to three times the actual market value?

Two companies dominate the provision of services to hospitals in South Bihar, holding contracts for generators, laundry, sanitation, and more. The owner of one of these companies used to work as a data operator in the Health Department 10–12 years ago, earning a salary of ₹13,000. It is said that he quit that job at the behest of a certain official; subsequently, thanks to that official's patronage, he experienced meteoric growth and amassed a fortune worth ₹300 crore.