Sena Kosh Associates, which made the highest bid Tk 33.68 crore in one group got the work while other bidders offered prices between Tk 21 crore and Tk 25 crore, sources said.

Some deprived participants said, the BMDA, violating tender conditions, refused to detail necessary software architecture of the meters to bid winners, but asked them to provide samples within seven days.

Nuruzzaman, owner of Orient Trading that got works in Rajshahi and Naogaon Region-1 by offering Tk 6.34 crore for installing 2550 meters, lodged a complaint with BMDA against the alleged irregularities.

He said, no farm would be able to provide samples without the necessary software database as BMDA sought only meters that matched existing ones.

Meantime, BMDA has asked Sena Kosh Associates, the farm quoting the highest bid of Tk 4.84 crore to sign an agreement within a month to install 1200 meters in deep tube wells in Chapainawabganj, the sources said.

MH Corporation, one of the lowest bidders which quoted Tk 3.59 crore, was denied on the plea that it could not provide meter-samples in time.

"The irregularity may affect farmers with an increased price for irrigation water", said a BMDA official.

He explained that BMDA used to earn around Tk 45 crore annually by selling water to farmers. Its income increased by around 15 per cent since introduction of computerised meters in 2005.

The tenders for prepaid meters were floated in October last year and the lowest bidders were chosen in November 20.

Imtiaz Ahmed and Shamsul Huda Company won the work in Naogaon Region-2 to install 1300 metres at a cost of Tk 3.69 crore while Micro Tech won works in Joypurhat and Dinajpur. Sigma Engineering won the work in Panchagarh by offering prices between Tk 24,500 and Tk 30,000 per meter.

All bid winners were asked to provide samples without necessary details and were denied after the January 25 deadline.

Sena Kosh quoted Tk 40,000 per prepaid meter. It will install 1000 meters in Thakurgaon. Two other firms allegedly chosen by it (Sena Kosh) participated in the tender, the sources said.

Earlier in 2005-06 financial year, BMDA purchased some 2000 prepaid meters for Rajshahi, Naogaon and Chapainawabganj at about Tk 39,000 per meter from Sena Kosh, the sources claimed.

"The BMDA tender process is merely a pre-designed game with participants", said a deprived contractor.

BMDA superintendent engineer Khalekuzzaman denied the allegations and said, "Many of the tender participants were liable to be rejected as they had no experience. Yet we gave them opportunity considering their lowest offers".

"We can't show them our entire database. We detailed our designs in tender documents", he said replying a question.

He also said the enhanced project cost will not increase price of irrigation water.