Mandsaur: The initiative taken by Garoth MLA Devilal Dhakad and various social organisations has finally come to fruition as a notice has been sent by collector Manoj Pushp to regional transport officer Gyanendra Vaishya while accountant Ramchandra Rao Shinde has been suspended for misusing the funds marked for transportation of migrants.
The corruption came to fore when the migrants were being sent back to their hometowns with help from state governments and social organisations. The regional transport office made arrangements for the buses. Labourers were sent back from areas like Garoth, Bhanpura, Mandsaur, Dalauda and nearby areas. About 164 buses were presented in the final accounts, including Rs 66 lakh as the diesel price and fare.
Free Press ImpactHowever, the bill that were presented- told a different story. This irregularity came into the notice of Bharatiya Janata Party mandal president Rajesh Sethia, who wrote to the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, asking him to dismiss regional transport officer Gyanendra Singh Vaishya for corruption.
According to Sethia, Vaishya tried to misuse the government’s funds for transportation of migrant labourers. MLA Dhakad then reached CM Chauhan’s office in Bhopal and told him about the situation. He presented facts, including the fake entries of vehicle numbers, that were traced to be that of two-wheeler vehicles numbers instead of buses. The officer procured money on the pretext of paying it to the social organisations. MLA Dhakad also pointed out multiple faults in the said record.
The interaction between CM Chauhan and MLA Dhakad alerted the administration. Collector Manoj Pushp issued a notice to RTO Gyanendra Vaishya and accountant Shinde. Dhakad said that 76 out of the 164 vehicles shown were paid for by various organisations. The record also showed that one bus ferried to and fro to multiple locations in a single day, which is not possible.
Mandsaur is otherwise infamous for the various collusion between excise department and excise contractors. Mandsaur MLA Yashpal Singh Sisodiya recently wrote a letter to CM Chauhan, asking him to take action against district excise officer BL Kori, who was then transferred to Dindori. The excise department had also confiscated illegally manufactured mawa, but no action has been taken ever since.
Any answer or clarification from Vaishya will clear the situation. Collector Pushp said that there is a huge difference between the record he received from Vaishya and the one he received from revenue officers and tehsildars prima facie. Pushp has made it very clear that the district administration shall not tolerate any corrupt behaviour.
