GSRTC head office in Ahmedabad issued a show-cause notice to two employees in Surat.
The Surat unit of Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) that contributes a sizeable chunk to the corporation's income has been blighted by a massive scam, which was unearthed by its accounts department after irregularities in compressed natural gas (CNG) bills came to the fore. GSRTC head office in Ahmedabad issued a show-cause notice to two employees in Surat.
To become cost effective, GSRTC employs more than more than 80 CNG buses in Surat. The corporation had entered into a contract with a distribution centre at Lambe Hanuman Road, Surat for regular supply of CNG for its vehicles at Re1 less than the market rate. Also, the transactions were done on a credit basis and the bills concerning the same were prepared later and sent to Ahmedabad head office for clearance.
It so happens that two sets of bills are sent to state transport headquarters in Ahmedabad, one by GSRTC Surat and second by the CNG distribution centre. Accounts department at the head office found irregularities in bill amounts sent by GSRTC Surat to the tune of Rs16 lakh more than those sent by the distribution centre.
Based on evidence collected, a team of officials from Ahmedabad conducted investigations at Surat. The team took statements of the accounts officer who signed bills and of clerks who prepared the bills. Sources said that the team has conducted investigations twice to find out truth. The team also met JM Solanki, head of GSRTC in Surat and took his statement.
"Staff at the CNG station used to fill gas worth Rs50 and file Rs80 in the bills and sent it to Ahmedabad," said a Surat GSRTC official, requesting anonymity. The official further said that the activity was going on for past many months, with many in Surat gaining monetarily from it.
"Few weeks back, rather than producing detailed bills, only slips of CNG transactions were sent to the head-office for approval. This raised suspicion and inquiry was ordered," added the official.
A clerk and the accounting head of GSRTC Surat were issued show-cause notices by the department and were asked to furnish their answers within a week. It is believed that many other employees might be issued show-cause notices in the future. Solanki when contacted was not available for comment on the issue, despite repeated attempts.
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