Chief Minister Hemant Soren ordered for ACB investigation of the capital’s much talked about Manhart Scam. A scam involving millions of rupees is suspected in appointments of consultants in Manhart in construction of sewerage-drainage system in Ranchi. The accused are then Municipal Development Minister Raghuvar Das and others. MLA Saryu Rai had been demanding for ACB to investigate this scam from several years. He also wrote a letter to the Chief Minister on 16 September and stated that between 2009 and 2011, the surveillance bureau had asked multiple times for permission to investigate the scam but the government did not approve. He asked Hemant government to take a positive decision on this.
In the year 2003, two consultants were appointed for construction of sewerage-drainage system in Ranchi. When the government changed, they were removed. One of the consultations approached the High Court, who appointed an Arbitrator (retired Chief Justice of Kerala High Court) and ruled that the removal was wrong and asked the Government to pay Rs 3. 61 crores as compensation. Post this, a tender was released to appoint a new consultant on the basis of quality based system as per the World Bank as there is no financial competition in this system. The evaluation also found that none of the applicants fits all the requirements and conditions. The evaluation committee called for the cancellation of the tender and advised a withdrawal of the same but the suggestion was rejected at the ministerial level. Tender conditions were changed and re-evaluated. Saryu Rai described it as an indicator of irregular and corrupt conduct. He wrote a letter to the CM but it was not considered. The matter was investigated several times by the Special Committee of the Legislative Assembly, but efforts were made to save the accused.
The High Court had listened to two PILs and directed to file a complaint with the Surveillance Commissioner. The petitioner then filed a complaint. The Surveillance IG wrote five letters to the commissioner but did not receive permission for investigation. Then, during the President’s rule in 2009, the Governor’s advisor ordered an inquiry by the Surveillance Commissioner, but Surveillance Commissioner Rajbala Verma had sent it to the technical division.
