The Madhya Pradesh Government on Thursday said it has recovered Rs 23 crore from contractors in connection with an alleged scam worth Rs 41.40 crore related to liquor contracts.
The state exchequer has incurred a loss of Rs 41.40 crore as some liquor contractors forged the challans through which the contract amount was deposited in the banks.While talking to media persons here, Finance and Commercial Tax Minister Jayant Malaiya told, “We have recovered Rs 23 crore from the contractors.
Process has been started to attach and auction the property of the accused contractors to realise the remaining amount of the (recent) scam.”Six excise department officials from Indore including an assistant commissioner were suspended for their gross negligence in the matter, he said on the sidelines of a function here.Besides, Excise deputy commissioner and 19 other staffers of the department have been transferred as they were posted for over three years in Indore district, Malaiya said. Employees of the excise department are transferred after working for three years at a place, an official said.
Malaiya said he had directed the excise department's top officials (in state capital Bhopal) to visit Indore to get to the bottom of the scam and take action.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sampat Upadhyay had said criminal cases have been registered against 10 contractors and their six associates in connection with the alleged fraud.
The accused have gone missing after lodging of the FIR and Rs 10,000 reward has been announced on their head, excise officials said.
However, before the FIR was registered, the excise department managed to recover Rs 23 crore of the amount from the accused, the minister said.