State-wide offensive launched to reclaim government land and dismantle the "Tender Mafia" in urban local bodies.
PATNA — In a major administrative overhaul, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha has ordered a "war-level" crackdown on land mafias and organized syndicates operating across all 264 urban local bodies. The directive, issued during a high-level review of the Swachh Bharat Mission, aims to reclaim encroached public land and end the long-standing monopoly of large outsourcing firms in government contracts.
Breaking the Monopoly in Tenders
A key pillar of the new strategy is the democratization of the municipal bidding process. Deputy CM Sinha has instructed officials to ensure that NGOs, non-profit organizations, and smaller companies are given a fair platform to compete against established players.
"We will not tolerate irregularities in the tender process," Sinha stated, emphasizing that fostering healthy competition will improve service quality and create new employment opportunities. The government has also sought a detailed report on all currently active outsourcing companies to identify potential "white-collar" collusion.
Reclaiming Public Spaces
The Bihar government is adopting a zero-tolerance policy toward the illegal occupation of urban land. Key measures include:
Identification of Encroachments: A state-wide exercise to identify and legally recover government land from mafias.
Adopting External Models: Officials will study successful sanitation and urban management models from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh to implement local adaptations.
Administrative Accountability: Following Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s directive, senior officers will now hold public grievance hearings two days a week to address citizens' complaints directly.
