Nagpur cops file six new cases in irregular tender scam

Nagpur Police today registered six new offences in alleged Gosikhurd irrigation scam which pertains to irregularities in the tender process of the project, official said.

Around 14 offences have been registered in connection with the scam in Nagpur till date, an official said.

Offences were registered today against the then Divisional Accounts Officer Gurudas Mandvakar, Supritendent Engineer Sanjay Kholapurkar, Chief Engineer Sopan Suryanwanshi of the state Water Resources department along with 36 others.

Investigating agency Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) today approached the police and lodged a complaint against officials and contractors, a senior police official said.

Gosikhurd project falls under the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC).

During the open enquiry into the scam, the ACB found major irregularities and lapses in tender process as well as involvement of then engineers, divisional accounts officers of the department, contractors and their partners, he said.

The cost of the tenders was illegally inflated by the government officials to favour specific contractors and their partners, he said.

Officials of the VIDC allowed some contractors to participate in tendering process though they were ineligible, the official said, adding that successful contractors submitted forged experience certificates to obtain the work order for the project.

The contractors, who participated in the tender process with a joint venture firm, got payment in personal accounts, he said.

During investigation it came to light that the government officials concerned and contractors were part of a criminal conspiracy which resulted into the scam, he said.

Earlier eight offences were registered in connection with the Gosikhurd irrigation project. In two cases, chargesheets were filed in a special court of ACB in Nagpur, he added.

GosiKhurd Irrigation Project is one of the major irrigation projects in Godavari basin in Maharashtra's Bhandara district on the river Wainganga.

The irrigation project was approved in March 1983 at an estimated cost of Rs 372.22 crore and was expected to be completed by March 1990. However, it remains incomplete even after 33 years after the approvals were granted. It is alleged that the project costs have escalated manifold over a period of time.

A report of the Public Accounts Committee had noted that even after 33 long years (post approval) and spending thousands of crores, the purpose of commissioning the project was not realised.