Eight others -- all contractors -- Harka Singh Chawan, Hari Prasad Rai, R B Subba, Hari Prasad Sharma, Sriniwas Agrawal, A B Gurung, Norbu Tshering Bhutia and Sonam Wangdi Bhutia were also sentenced to five months imprisonment by CBI court Judge S W Lepcha.
The court also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on Bhandari and Pradhan and Rs 5,000 on the eight convicted. In default of the fine, the convicts would have to undergo an additional month's imprisonment.
The CBI had registered the case against 17 persons, including Bhandari, in 1984 on the recommendation of the then state government headed by B B Gurung.
It was stated that Bhandari and Pradhan, who was the then Rural Development Secretary, had abused their positions as public servants to award contract work of the Rural Development Department to their favourite contractors at high rates by ignoring the views of engineers of the concerned department thereby causing loss of Rs 2,41,120 public money.
They were charged by the CBI with criminal conspiracy, criminal misconduct and corruption.
However, the court granted bail to all the convicted people till the date of filing of appeal against their conviction in a higher court.