Fresh allegations of tender irregularities in Jharkhand’s Home Department

The Jharkhand unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday levelled serious allegations of procedural manipulation and favouritism in the awarding of government tenders within the state’s Home Department, which functions directly under the Chief Minister. The party has sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into what it terms a “systemic and organised nexus” between a select group of firms and officials.

Addressing a press conference in Ranchi, BJP spokesperson Ajay Sah alleged that a group of three firms — JC Michael (Kolkata), Arihant Corporation (Patna), and Lifeline Security (New Delhi) — have been repeatedly awarded contracts through what he described as a deliberate technical disqualification of competing bidders.

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Citing tender number JEM/2022/B/2317532, Sah claimed that 20 of 23 participating companies were disqualified on technical grounds, allowing predetermined bidders to be awarded the contract. A similar pattern, he said, was observed in tender GEM/2022/B/2498791.

According to Sah, JC Michael’s director Chirag Jain is also the proprietor of Arihant Corporation, while Jitendra Kochar is associated with both JC Michael and Lifeline Security. “The connections suggest a coordinated effort to subvert competition,” he said.

The BJP leader argued that such arrangements violate Government e-Marketplace (GeM) norms, which do not allow a single individual to submit bids through multiple firms. “This is a clear breach of protocol and possibly a criminal offence,” he added.

Given that the Home Department reports directly to the Chief Minister, Sah said any impartial probe is only possible under the supervision of a central agency or court. “A department tasked with maintaining oversight across the state cannot be seen to facilitate procedural fraud within its own operations,” he remarked.