Leader of Opposition cum State BJP president Babulal Marandi, has written to Chief Secretary Alka Tiwari, drawing attention to irregularities in the operation of liquor shops managed by the Jharkhand State Beverage Corporation Limited (JSBCL).
In his letter, Marandi highlighted that since 2022, JSBCL has been overseeing liquor outlets across the state, with approximately 4,500 personnel supplied by seven placement agencies for their management. That same year, JSBCL floated a tender for manpower supply, ultimately selecting seven agencies. However, Marandi alleged that two of these agencies—Marson Innovative Security Private Limited and Vision Hospitality Service & Consultant Private Limited—obtained contracts for Hazaribagh and Dhanbad by submitting fraudulent bank guarantees.
Despite this fraud being reported to the departmental secretary, no action was taken against the agencies involved. Supporting his claims, the complainant presented documentary evidence, including a letter from Punjab & Sind Bank’s Geeta Colony branch in New Delhi, dated January 31, 2024, confirming that the bank guarantee provided by Vision Hospitality Service & Consultant Private Limited was fake. Similarly, Bandhan Bank, Kolkata, notified JSBCL on March 2, 2024, that the bank guarantee of Marson Innovative Security Private Limited was also fraudulent. However, JSBCL neither investigated the matter nor took any corrective action.
Rather than addressing the fraud, officials allegedly attempted to conceal it, allowing the agencies to continue operations. Marandi asserted that such large-scale financial misconduct called for an inquiry, blacklisting of the agencies, and filing of an FIR.
Even after receiving written confirmation of the fraudulent bank guarantees from the concerned banks, neither JSBCL officials nor the departmental secretary took any measures, raising suspicions of favoritism.
Further exacerbating the issue, Marandi disclosed that these two agencies failed to deposit over ₹25 crore from liquor sales into JSBCL accounts. This shortfall was acknowledged by JSBCL, yet no FIR was registered, and the agencies were not blacklisted.
Holding the department accountable for inaction despite clear evidence of financial mismanagement, Marandi called for a thorough probe into the fraudulent agencies that have caused revenue losses to the state. He urged the authorities to file an FIR, blacklist the agencies, and suspend the responsible officials to prevent future financial irregularities.
