Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) has initiated an investigation into purchases worth more than Rs 20 lakh made through quotations in its Garden Section.
For the past two days, officials have been examining old records, most of which relate to preparations for the Global Investor Summit (GIS) 2025. The files include purchases of carpet grass, plants, pots, fertilizers, soil and tree guards.
Officials have maintained that all purchases were processed according to procedure and duly approved. However, scrutiny revealed that a large portion of the work orders went to a firm linked to a former corporation employee named Bhagwati, prompting questions about the fairness of the procurement process.
The matter came to light during last month’s Municipal Corporation council meeting, where councillors alleged that works worth over Rs 22 lakh had been carried out through quotations instead of tenders.
Members questioned the deviation, noting that even works above Rs 1 lakh typically require a tendering process. Councillors from both the BJP and Congress raised objections, with Congress members calling it a “scam.”
Following the uproar, Corporation Chairman Kishan Suryavanshi ordered a formal probe into the matter. Since then, officials have been reviewing each file related to the purchases. Initial findings indicate that approvals were granted by senior officials, including the Additional Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Superintending Engineer, and Executive Engineer.
‘No wrongdoing’
Executive Engineer Pramod Malviya, in charge of the Garden Section, stated that all files were prepared in compliance with regulations. “Sometimes urgent tasks have to be executed on short notice,” he said, adding that while works above Rs 1 lakh are usually tendered, these were minor assignments managed through quotations.
Probe report on Dec 30
The investigation report will be presented at the next council meeting on December 30. If delayed, it will be tabled in January. Chairman Suryavanshi has directed officials to ensure the findings are ready for discussion in the upcoming session.
