Facelift for Maihar schools on paper, ETEducation
Bhopal: Cycle sheds that never materialised and repair jobs that stayed on paper have ensnared three private firms in a deepening scandal, as the Maihar district administration on Thursday ordered police to file criminal cases and freeze their bank accounts over an alleged Rs 4.37 crore school construction fraud.
Authorities directed police to register FIRs against the firms, accused of siphoning govt funds earmarked for minor works like cycle sheds, parking sheds, painting, and repairs at 21 govt schools across Maihar district. Officials simultaneously mandated an immediate freeze on the companies’ bank accounts to block any withdrawal or diversion of the suspected misappropriated funds.
The crackdown stemmed from an investigation launched by Maihar district collector Rani Batad, which revealed Rs 4.37 crore in payments disbursed for projects that existed almost entirely on paper. Acting on the findings, the district education officer wrote to the Maihar superintendent of police (SP) on Feb 4 requesting FIRs, while banks received orders to lock the firms’ accounts without delay.
So far, three school principals have been suspended.
State govt funds for these minor works — parking sheds, cycle sheds, repairs, and painting — were released in Sept last year, with the full cycle of fund disbursement, supposed construction, and final payments wrapped up in just one month. Documents obtained by TOI show that in several instances, work orders issued on Sept 9 led to bills claiming completion by Sept 11, with payments cleared by Sept 27 — suggesting entire “constructions” were fabricated in as little as two days.
Collector Batad formed a probe team led by the Maihar sub-divisional magistrate. The team’s report triggered the current actions. Local activist Subhash Pandey said, “Work orders were issued and everything was shown on paper to withdraw funds. A state-level probe could easily expose a scam close to Rs 100 crore.”
Maihar district panchayat CEO Shailendra Singh said, “Three principals were suspended, recommendations against 11 were sent to the divisional commissioner, and action against two was underway at the district panchayat level after issuing show-cause notices.”
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