Officers at the Water Resource Department (WRD) Sehore have pocketed lakhs of rupees from the state treasury by issuing cheques in favour of firms that either do not exist or belong to their family members.
Documents in possession of ‘The Pioneer’ indicate that Sehore WRD has paid lakhs of rupees to several firms in Bhopal, which exist only on paper. Besides, it is also interesting to note that most of these payments were made in February and March last year to siphon off money before the available funds lapse on closing of the financial year. All these cheques have been drawn upon the WRD’s account in State Bank of India, Sehore branch. Some of the firms, including Global Photostat and Computers, Gupta Photostat, Universal Photostat and Typing Institute, Shitlani Photo Stat and Typing Centre have been paid huge amount of Rs 2.80 lakh for Xerox copy during the time period of June 2011 to March 2012.
Notably, the firms were chosen arbitrarily as no tenders were called for the work involving huge expenditure which is against the norms. Besides, it is found that these firms are not registered with the sales tax department of the State government. It is also inexplicable as to why only specific firms in Bhopal were chosen for the purpose when photocopying facility is available in Sehore as well.
This is just one part of the suspicious payments. A firm Mohit Traders, based in Bhopal, from where the WRD sources claim that stationary was bought, deals in general merchandise and not stationary. This firm was paid Rs 49,974 on June 30, 2011 (vide cheque no; 043630), Rs 34,850 on December 17, 2011 (vide cheque no; 049880) and Rs 68,334 on December 31, 2011 (vide cheque no; 030104). Similarly, payments have been made to various other dubious firms with bank account numbers belonging to persons close to the WRD Sehore officials including family members or friends. Notably, none of these firms have sales tax department’s registration.
Some of such firms are Rahul Associates, RS Construction, Awasthi Enterprises, Sajal Communications, Computer Academy, Adita Printers, Unnati Enterprises, Mahalakshmi Enterprises, Vaidehi Graphics and Stationers, Pragya Enterprises, MS Building Material Suppliers, Girdhani Sales Agencies, Vinayak Associates and many other such firms of questionable credentials.
Interestingly, an amount of Rs 1,32,200 has also been paid to the Manager of State Bank of India, Sehore branch (cheque no 049438). Further, a sum of Rs 5 lakh was also withdrawn through several self-favoured cheques on March 28, 2012 by showing forged bills in the measurement book of the department.
Apart from the irregularities in payments, WRD insiders also inform that senior departmental officials have plotted to post such officers at the Sehore office who are favourably disposed to the shadowy deals going on there. Documents in possession of The Pioneer show a series of transfers and attachments of officials in the years 2011 and 2012, pointing out deliberate move to bring at Sehore such officials disposed favourably to the fishy deals.
WRD Chief Engineer CB Shrivastava accepted that he has received some complaints regarding irregularities in payments at the Sehore office. “A complaint was recently received from Sehore. The complainant remained absent for recording his statements on March 4 and March 20. However, even if the person does not come here, I will probe the matter and send a report to the government for taking any action, if required,” said Shrivastava on Monday.