Imphal, October 1: Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has voiced strong concerns over unusually low bids, citing the widening of NH 102A Shangshak–Tengnoupal Road, warning that such practices could compromise the quality of road construction in the state’s challenging hill terrain.
In a social media post, Biren Singh wrote, “Manipur’s hill roads demand quality investment, not contracts that compromise standards for the sake of low bidding.”
Highlighting the inherent difficulties of hill road projects, he noted that construction in Manipur’s hilly regions has always been costly due to tough geography, heavy logistics, and unpredictable weather. Despite these challenges, recent Public Works Department (PWD) tenders revealed bids far below both the market rate and the official estimate.
Citing figures, Biren Singh pointed out that Package 1, estimated at ₹281.45 crore, saw the lowest bid at ₹175.34 crore—nearly 38 percent lower. Similarly, Package 3, estimated at ₹429.94 crore, received a lowest bid of ₹227.00 crore, a staggering 47 percent below the official estimate. Several other bidders also quoted between 33 and 43 percent lower than projected costs.
“Such extreme under quoting raises genuine concerns about quality and transparency,” Singh cautioned. He stressed the importance of ensuring that projects are not compromised due to unrealistic costing.
Urging the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to intervene, Biren Singh called for proper technical and financial scrutiny of the bids to safeguard public funds. He further underlined that Manipur deserves durable and safe infrastructure that will truly benefit its people in the long run.
