Aurangabad: Public representatives and some ministers have been accused of obstructing the work of officers and engineers who do not succumb to pressure from contractors in the Public Works Department (PWD). Complaints have been made to the Chief Minister's office against senior engineers who are allegedly pressuring some contractors to withdraw tenders.
Furthermore, there are reports of a group of politicians in the district who are providing shelter to contractors who work without following the tender process. According to senior sources of the department, a fund of Rs 1.5 crores was sanctioned for the health centre at Paithan, but the work was done within Rs 99 lakhs without a tender process.
The situation has led to several tenders being delayed or not opened at all. A tender worth Rs 28 crores for a road project has not been opened despite receiving submissions from four contractors. Similarly, tenders worth around Rs 10 crores for a building and rest house project have been pending for ten months. The delay has raised concerns about potential price hikes in the budget for these projects. The complaints have been increasing, and the situation has caught the attention of the senior officials in the Mantralay.