MP govt recovered Rs 23 cr from liquor contractors: Malaiya

The Madhya Pradesh government today said it has recovered Rs 23 crore from contractors in connection with an alleged scam worth Rs 41.40 crore related to liquor contracts.
The state exchequer has incurred a loss of Rs 41.40 crore as some liquor contractors forged the challans through which the contract amount was deposited in the banks, an official said.
"We have recovered Rs 23 crore from the contractors. Process has been started to attach and auction the property of the accused contractors to realise the remaining amount of the (recent) scam," state Finance and Commercial Tax Minister Jayant Malaiya told reporters.

Six excise department officials from Indore including an assistant commissioner were suspended for their gross negligence in the matter, he said on the sidelines of a function here.
Besides, Excise deputy commissioner and 19 other staffers of the department have been transferred as they were posted for over three years in Indore district, Malaiya said.
Employees of the excise department are transferred after working for three years at a place, an official said.

Malaiya said he had directed the excise department's top officials (in state capital Bhopal) to visit Indore to get to the bottom of the scam and take action.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sampat Upadhyay had said criminal cases have been registered against 10 contractors and their six associates in connection with the alleged fraud.
The accused have gone missing after lodging of the FIR and Rs 10,000 reward has been announced on their head, excise officials said.
However, before the FIR was registered, the excise department managed to recover Rs 23 crore of the amount from the accused, the minister said.
A lookout circular has also been issued against the accused to prevent them from fleeing the country, police said.
"As per the process, the liquor contractors need to deposit the contract amount to the government exchequer within the given period to purchase the liquor quota from the excise department. This amount is deposited through bank challans," police said.

The police found that in the last two years, the accused contractors deposited amounts lesser than what they were supposed to pay. They forged the challans and informed the department that they have deposited the contract amount.
This forgery of challans had resulted in loss of Rs 41.40 crore to the exchequer, the ASP said.