UKHRUL: 45 Chingai Assembly Constituency (ST) MLA Khashim Vashum has sought the intervention of Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari over the repeated postponement of the tender for the 9-km Ukhrul Town road improvement project, questioning the transparency and procedural validity of the tender process.
In a letter dated October 2, MLA Vashum raised concerns over two successive postponements of the tender for the improvement of the existing Ukhrul road from Dungrei Junction to Toloi Junction along National Highway-102A, using Thin White Topping Technology (TWT), under the financial year 2026-27.
According to the MLA, the tender was initially scheduled for submission on September 23, 2026, with the technical bid opening fixed for September 24.
However, a corrigendum issued on September 22 by NHIDCL, RO-Imphal, extended the bid submission deadline to September 30 and rescheduled the technical bid opening to October 1.
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MLA Vashum stated that prospective bidders submitted their bids through the prescribed e-procurement system before the extended deadline, and the bidding process closed at 3 pm on September 30.
He alleged that another corrigendum was published on the e-procurement portal at 4.21 pm on the same day, after the bidding process had closed, extending the submission deadline to October 21 and rescheduling the technical bid opening to October 22.
Questioning the second postponement, MLA Vashum said issuing a corrigendum after the bid submission deadline had expired raised serious concerns over the fairness, transparency and integrity of the procurement process.
He sought an inquiry into the circumstances leading to the two postponements, particularly the issuance of the second corrigendum after bids had already been submitted and the tender process formally closed.
The MLA also urged the ministry to examine whether the second corrigendum was consistent with the provisions of the Notice Inviting Tender (NIT), Request for Proposal (RFP) and applicable NHIDCL and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways procurement procedures.
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Highlighting the importance of the project, MLA Vashum said the 9-km stretch was a vital road link for Ukhrul and surrounding areas. The deteriorating road condition has caused hardship to commuters, transport operators, students, patients, businesses and the general public, he stated.
He further pointed out that Ukhrul experiences substantial rainfall between April and September, warning that unnecessary delays in finalising the tender could push the actual execution of the work into an unfavourable construction period.
MLA Vashum then urged Union minister Gadkari to direct the concerned authorities to preserve and process the bids submitted on September 30, subject to the findings of the competent authority, and ensure that the technical and financial bids are evaluated in accordance with the applicable tender conditions.
He also called for the tender process to be completed without further unnecessary delay and the project awarded to the successful L-1 bidder.
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“I am seeking no favour for any individual bidder. Our request is simply that the tender process be conducted in a fair, transparent, time-bound and rule-compliant manner, and that a project of such importance to the people of Ukhrul should not be unnecessarily delayed,” MLA Vashum stated.
The letter was also forwarded to Manipur chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, the managing director of NHIDCL and other concerned officials for information and necessary action.
