Mantralaya buys anti-lightning equipment through Bogus GR: RTI

Vinita Deshmukh 27 July 2016

Public Interest

If financial irregularities, chikki and land scams are not enough, did you know that a concocted, counterfeit GR (government resolution) is also being used to greedily eat up public funds, in the name of public service? Moreover, it is a strange case of fake GR made by Mantralaya and Mantralaya itself being taken for a ride, with a department actually putting this false GR into action, and being looted.

So, this particular GR, states that the Maharashtra Government is deeply concerned about deaths due to lightning strikes (wish it could think so passionately about deaths due to accidents too) and hence it has been proposed that anti-lightning equipment be bought to install on 181 buildings in Maharashtra comprising old and new government hostels, government-run residential schools and on ITI buildings of the department.

Based on this alleged fraudulent document, the Pune Municipal Corporation ordered equipment worth around two crore rupees, in August 2014. It did not stop here The Social Justice department, Mantralaya followed suit and in October 2015, bought anti lightning equipment worth around five crore rupees. SVA Electricals, Shanwar Peth, Pune was the favoured firm, for providing the equipment.

This scam, though small in terms of monetary content but huge in terms of serious fraud, was caught, thanks to the information procured under the RTI Act. RTI Activist Vijay Kumbhar’s RTI request, sought the photo copy of the said GR, in fact the entire file containing the chronology that led to the decision of buying anti lightning equipment for which the Gr was necessitated, including file notings. The reply, received recently, from the Revenue and Forest Department (rehabilitation) stated that such a file does not exist.

Shocked, Kumbhar has appealed to Chief Minister to take action. This is the second time that he has written to the CM, who did not take any action on his letter after the Pune Municipal Corporation purchased it in August 2015. He has again appealed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, seeking stringent action on officers of the relevant departments who bought it on the basis of a fraudulent order and to hunt out the person who concocted the GR. He has also asked him to investigate, if this is one off case, or the tip of an iceberg. States Kumbhar, “this is very shocking and a dangerous trend. If the relevant authorities have no clue that the GR is fraud and if any person can carry out such a criminal activity without raising an eyebrow, it speaks a lot about the run-down system in the administration of the Mantralaya and the Pune Municipal Corporation.“

Worse, Kumbhar states that equipment which costs around Rs35,000 has been bought at an over-priced rate of Rs.2.5 lakh odd.

Against the backdrop of tainted ministers of the Fadnavis government being given clean, will this scam that could be on a large proportion, be even attend to? That is the question.

(Vinita Deshmukh is consulting editor of Moneylife, an RTI activist and convener of the Pune Metro Jagruti Abhiyaan. She is the recipient of prestigious awards like the Statesman Award for Rural Reporting which she won twice in 1998 and 2005 and the Chameli Devi Jain award for outstanding media person for her investigation series on Dow Chemicals. She co-authored the book “To The Last Bullet – The Inspiring Story of A Braveheart - Ashok Kamte” with Vinita Kamte and is the author of “The Mighty Fall”.)

Comments

User

Suketu Shah

1 decade ago

Informative article.

Roy Aranha

1 decade ago

shocking for a new government they have to act fast promised a clean adiministration

vivek bhavsar

1 decade ago

Fadnavis government has opened one window system where all corrupt ministers are getting clean chit without any enquiry...

Sunil Rebello

1 decade ago

The scams continued from UPA to NDA, only value and types of scams are different. ONLY GOD CAN SAVE INDIA(IANS)

Deepak Mahulkar

1 decade ago

If such fraudulent GR exists, it is very dangerous as GR is a basis on which action is taken by local bodies, state government. I am sure, all GRs must be existing on official web site of government and therefore it is not difficult to find out if such document is official. It is therefore very easy to identify culprit.

Ganesh Iyer

1 decade ago

All the excellent footpath paver blocks in mumbai were removed and replaced at what cost and why ? A BJP leader stated it was corporation under Shiv Sena doing it. There is no control over not only large scale corruption but even frauds that are openly committed under the govt. Where is the ckean CM of Maharashtra and is the PM watching all these dirty scandals of Pankaja Munde robbing the orphanages in hundreds of crores. Shame on Maharashtra for No action

Ganesh Iyer

1 decade ago

BJP govts. are equally worst corrupt and soon the face of CM for not taking action against Pankaja Munde or scandals will have a tainted dirty look.

P L Despande pawar

1 decade ago

I must congratulate both ms Vinita Deshmukh & mr Kumbhar for the great work in exposing unheard of fraud & inept administration & management in Govt. & Govt organisations.
It is open secret that there's no accountability. This is responsible for the mismanagement.

Praveen Sakhuja

1 decade ago

Are we sure to see action in the matter. I am afraid. I had approached PMO and authorities of MOC with similar complaints since 2013 based on documents rec'd under RTI. I concluded chor chor Mausere Bhai. I am barred from getting information under RTI. I have huge bundles of records to prove what I say.