Rs52 lakh shocker to NMC in Bogus Contracts Scam, four cheques by contractor bounce

Nagpur: Four cheques, for Rs52 lakh in all, submitted by contractor Padmakar ‘Kolba’ Sakode to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) have reportedly bounced. Also, another 15 bogus contracts worth Rs68 lakh have come to fore, this time in solid waste management department.
The bounced cheques are a shocker for Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC, which was hoping to recover the amount embezzled from it in the Bogus Contracts Scam.
NMC additional municipal commissioner Ram Joshi told TOI, “Sakode had submitted cheque of Rs67 lakh when similar amount of bogus contracts were unearthed from health department. NMC recovered the amount as cheque was encashed. Later, bogus contracts of Rs74 lakh and Rs60 lakh came to fore in library, and birth and death registration department respectively.”
Sakode had prepared bogus contracts in the name of Shree Ganesh Sai Services, which was owned by another person. Following the expose, the person recovered Rs50 lakh from Sakode and submitted a cheque which was encashed a day ago. At the same time, on December 16, Sakode had submitted four cheques of Rs13 lakh each in the name of his four agencies. These four cheques bounced yesterday, said Joshi.
He said Sakode stopped payment from two accounts and there was insufficient money in the other two accounts. “Appropriate action will also be taken for bounce of cheques,” he said.
An NMC official said, “Difference between provision given by solid waste management department in its heads, and payment disbursed by accounts and finance department came to fore along the lines of fraud in health, library, and birth and death registration departments. Detailed inquiry revealed solid waste management did not approve 15 contracts of Rs68 lakh to Sakode’s firms.”
Sakode had prepared 15 bogus contracts by forging signatures of health department officials and submitted them for release of payment with accounts and finance department. Clerks, Mohan Padwanshi from general administration department, and Sanis Gokhe from projects department, generated bills and approved online on payment module. “Files have been handed over to chief medical officer Dr Sanjay Chilkar for confirmation,” he said.
This is the first case in the scam where Sakode allegedly prepared bogus contracts under heads of one department but forged signatures of officials of another department.
Now, the scam has swelled to Rs4.09 crore. Earlier, bogus contracts of Rs2.07 crore were confirmed from health department, Rs74 lakh from library, and Rs60 lakh from birth and death registration department. Till now, NMC has recovered Rs1.17 crore from the contractor.
On Tuesday, a team from Sadar police station again visited the storeroom of NMC situated at Mahal for investigations.
BOX
SCAM AND RECOVERY
* Bogus contracts of Rs67 lakh came to fore from health dept
* NMC recovered amount from contractor
* More bogus contracts of Rs74 lakh unearthed in library dept
* NMC encashed one cheque of Rs50 lakh, balance Rs24 lakh unrecovered
* Bogus contracts of Rs60 lakh also found in birth and death registration dept
* Contractor gave four cheques of Rs52 lakh, which bounced
* Bogus contracts of Rs68 lakh now confirmed in solid waste management department
* Total scam swelled to Rs4.09 crore
* NMC recovered Rs1.17 crore
* Investigation in other departments for contracts over Rs3 lakh is going on