By Vishwapati
Patna: A company involved in irregularities during the laying of sand and regular water sprinkling on the Kanwaria path during the Shravani Mela has been blacklisted by the Bihar government. The action follows an investigation ordered by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha, who also serves as the Road Construction Minister. The inquiry revealed significant violations, leading to strict penalties against the contractor and ongoing disciplinary action against responsible engineers.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha stated that the irregularities in the project came to light during routine inspections. A team from the headquarters conducted a thorough investigation, uncovering evidence of malpractice. As a result, the contractor, M/s Balkrishna Bhalotia Pvt. Ltd., has been blacklisted for 10 years and fined approximately ₹4.5 crore for the illegal use of sand. Additionally, action against the engineers involved is being processed in accordance with established rules.
The investigation found that Ganga sand was used across 18,494.549 square meters in the project, but the contractor provided verified challans for only 4,515.33 square meters. According to regulations, contractors are not entitled to payment without verified challans for minor minerals from the works department. This violation not only constitutes irregularities in the project but also disregards the directives of the Mines and Geology Department.
To prevent such incidents in the future, the department has issued strict guidelines for the estimation and execution of all projects. The government has also revised mining rules to curb the illegal mining, transportation, and storage of minor minerals, as well as revenue theft. Under the new rules, works departments must attach e-challans issued by the mining department when submitting bills for mineral purchases. Illegal use of minor minerals now carries severe penalties, including fines up to 25 times the value of the minerals and mitigation fees for transport vehicles. Penalties for vehicles carrying minor minerals like sand or stone without proper challans or exceeding the permitted quantity have been increased to ₹5 lakh for small vehicles and ₹10 lakh for larger ones.
Deputy Chief Minister Sinha emphasized that the government will fully support competent and honest workers while ensuring that wrongdoers face strict consequences. He reiterated the administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability in public projects.
The author, Vishwapati, is a senior journalist based in Patna. He may be contacted at vishwapati25@gmail.com
