Six assistant commissioners of tribal welfare get notices
BHOPAL: Notices have been served on assistant commissioners (AC) of tribal welfare department of six districts, along with charge-sheets, in connection with irregularities in purchase of LED bulbs and tubelights.
These LEDs and tubelights were purchased through the State Consumer Co-operatives Federation in Indore, Chhindwara, Chhattarpur, Shajapur, Rajgarh and Agar districts.
A probe revealed that LED bulbs, priced at Rs 600 a piece, were brought for Rs 1600, translating into a scam of around Rs 1.5 crore. Payment was promptly released to the firms. The scam was unearthed when Consumer Federation’s OSD Surabhi Varshney probed the matter.
It was discovered that LEDs were purchased from firms which had not even submitted tenders. These firms were registered as ‘non-tendering firms’ and purchases were made from them. Purchases were even made from unregistered firms and from firms which had never dealt in LED bulbs.
Some firms made false claims of having dealerships of companies manufacturing LED bulbs.
Earlier, two officers of Consumer Federation were suspended in the same case.
The probe report was forwarded to the department in March but action has been taken now. Sources said the department had previously proposed to suspend these ACs but the minister decided not to suspend but to serve charge sheets to these officers.
According to sources, delay in action against these ACs was caused as the file was pending with the minister for long. Principal secretary, tribal department, Ashok Shah said officers of six districts have been served notices in connection with LED purchase and action would be taken after getting their reply.
