Blanket Procurement Row Hits Nirmali Nagar Panchayat

Brief By Newsbrief / 6:09 PM on 29 Jan 2026

Serious allegations of financial irregularities have emerged in Supaul district’s Nirmali Nagar Panchayat over the procurement and distribution of blankets meant for cold-wave relief. The state government mandates purchases through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal to ensure transparency, but officials are accused of undermining the process. According to sources, a tender was initially floated on the GeM portal for the supply of 2,000 blankets. However, when alleged “settlement” with the selected supplier did not materialise, the tender was neither finalised nor formally concluded.

Instead, 1,200 blankets were allegedly purchased from the open market and distributed, while the remaining 800 were reportedly misappropriated. The distribution reportedly took place nearly ten days before the tender was officially cancelled, raising serious procedural questions. When questioned, Executive Officer Veena Vaishali reportedly failed to give a clear explanation for the sequence of events.

The controversy has deepened as similar purchases have not yet been made in Simrahi Nagar Panchayat, where the same officer holds regular charge. The incident has revived memories of earlier procurement scandals in Nirmali, where former executive officers were found guilty in district-level inquiries, and departmental action is already underway.