Tender process in 40 blocks halted; Panchayat Pradhans to handle construction material procurement
Shimla – The Himachal Pradesh government has withdrawn the BDO-led tender system for purchasing construction materials for Panchayats and has reinstated the earlier system, allowing Panchayat Pradhans to carry out procurement independently. The decision comes after mounting pressure from Panchayat representatives, who protested the new mechanism introduced on April 5.
Tendering at the Block Development Officer (BDO) level was underway in 40 out of 91 blocks for the purchase of bricks, sand, gravel, and other materials used in development works funded through MNREGA, MLA, MP, and DC funds. The Rural Development Department has now halted this process and instructed officials to maintain the status quo until further notice.
On Friday, Secretary of the Rural Development Department Rajesh Sharma issued official instructions to all Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, ADCs, Executive Engineers, District Development Officers, Panchayat Officers, BDOs, and Assistant Engineers, directing them to follow the old system of tendering at the Panchayat level.
Earlier, the state government had introduced centralised procurement through BDOs to curb corruption and improve transparency. However, this move triggered strong resistance from Panchayat Pradhans. On April 22, hundreds of Pradhans gathered in Shimla and met Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu at the Secretariat, urging him to restore their procurement powers.
Responding to their concerns, the Chief Minister had assured the representatives that the April 5 notification would be withdrawn and that the Panchayats would retain the authority to float tenders for material purchases.
With the latest government clarification, the tendering powers now officially return to Panchayat Pradhans, reinstating the decentralised system that existed before the April 5 directive.
