BHOPAL: Economic Offences Wing (EOW) is most likely to register an FIR by end of August in connection with the water resource department’s alleged advance payment scam of Rs 877 crore, as per officials of the investigation agency.
EOW had initiated a preliminary enquiry (PE) in connection with the alleged scam in June.
When the case came to light in January this year, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan directed EOW to probe into the matter.
The advance payment was allegedly made to three contractors by changing the rules of the tenders, as per official sources.
An officer posted at EOW, who wished not to be quoted, said they had taken the statements of three top officials of the WRD including the then engineer-in-chief Rajiv Suklikar, chief engineer Shirish Mishra and a personal assistant (PA) to the then additional chief secretary.
Director general (EOW) Ajay Sharma told Free Press most of the investigations had been completed and FIR could be registered in the case in August itself.
Sources said that it’s a first of its kind case in the state wherein conditions of tenders were changed after the work order was released.
Congress govt tenure’s scam: The conditions of seven tenders of the WRD were changed and a sum of Rs 877 crore was paid in advance against the tenders of Rs 3,300 crore. Advance payment was made during the Kamal Nath led state government in May, 2019.
Out of the seven tenders, three were related to the construction of Hanota dam, Banda dam and Gond dam. Although payment was made in advance, the land was not even acquired for the projects.
