SC okays NA re-tender bid

The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday said that the Nepali Army (NA) could proceed with its re-tender for ration supply for its forces in Jumla.

With this verdict, the apex court has put to rest all controversy over the NA ration supply tenders. Quashing a writ petition over the controversy, Justices Ram Prasad Shrestha and Tahir Ali Ansari said that NA's re-tender move was "legal", and the court need not intervene as sought by the plaintiffs.

The controversy surfaced after news media in December reported irregularities in the awarding of tenders in a half dozen districts in the mid-western region. The army had then cancelled the first tender and called for a fresh one, prompting the winners of the first tender to move the courts.

An investigation by NA also found irregularities in awarding the first tenders, providing a basis for its bid for fresh tenders.