State Government has started tightening the noose around those involved in the alleged Fake Bill Scam worth Rs 125 crore in the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), the financial capital of Madhya Pradesh. On Friday, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav gave orders to set up the inquiry committee and blacklisted the five firms allegedly involved in the scam. The General Administration Department has constituted a high-level committee to investigate the scam. Principal Secretary Commercial Tax Amit Rathore will be the Chairman of the committee and Secretary Finance Department Ajit Kumar and Chief Engineer of Public Works Department have been included as members. It is found that around 20 fake bills pertaining to the work of water engineering and drainage department were presented to the finance branch of Indore Municipal Corporation. These bills were of 5 firms-M/s Jahanvi Enterprises, M/s Kshitij Enterprises, M/s King Construction, M/s Neev Construction and M/s Green Construction. It was revealed that there were no tender, contract and work order. On the basis of these bills, a payment of Rs 3.20 crore was made to the said firms.

 

IMC had lodged an FIR against five firms after an investigation revealed their producing fake pay orders and forged documents to cause a potential loss of crores of rupees to the civic body as a part of the scam. During CM’s visit to Indore on Monday evening (on the occasion of membership for Akshay Kanti Bam Congress Candidate), Indore Mayor personally informed him about the scam and demanded strict action against those involved in it. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Urban Development and Housing minister Kailash Vijayvargiya had assured Mayor Pushya Mitra Bhargava to form a high level committee to investigate the scam. On receiving information about the incident, Municipal Commissioner of Indore constituted an investigation committee. The committee is investigating 188 cases found in these 5 firms in the last 10 years. Two employees, Bhupendra Purohit and Sunil Bhanwar, who were found guilty in the preliminary investigation of the committee were issued show cause notices.

 

Rahul Vadera of Jahanvi Enterprises, Renu Vadera of M/s Kshitij Enterprise, Mohammed of M/s King Construction were arrested by the police. Zakir and Mohammed of New Construction, Sajid, former regulated clerk of Accounts Department Municipal Corporation Rajkumar Salvi, Deputy Engineer Uday Bhadauria and computer operator Chetan Bhadauria have been detained. Out of these, the services of the employees working in the said municipal corporation have been terminated. Assistant Engineer Abhay Rathore has been suspended. Disciplinary Proceedings: On the basis of the letter from the Commissioner Urban Administration and Development, the Finance Department is taking disciplinary action against Samar Singh Parmar, Deputy Director Jagdish Ohria and Rameshwar Parmar , posted in the Finance Department of the Municipal Corporation, for negligence in official work. General Administration Department constituted high level committee.