Suspected fake FDRs at Jawhar PWD, Rs 172 crore fraud feared, no FIR yet

A case of fake fixed deposit receipts (FDRs) has surfaced at the Public Works Department (PWD) in Jawhar. The irregularity was caught through the numbers. A State Bank of India FDR carries 11 digits, while the receipts submitted by one contractor had only seven. A few hours later, a man walked into the PWD office during the lunch break, picked up a bundle of receipts lying on a table and left. It was all recorded on CCTV. Several weeks have passed since, but no FIR has been registered. There is talk in the department that officials are trying to hush up the matter instead of booking those responsible.

First, how the system works. When the government gets work done through contractors, it issues tenders. Contractors who qualify must submit a security deposit and FDRs before they are awarded the work. Behind these receipts there should be either money actually deposited in the bank or property pledged in its place. In Jawhar, SBI officials found that the FDRs submitted by a contractor for development works were fake. The bank informed the office of the executive engineer in Jawhar. The case suggests that a contractor can have fake bank receipts printed and hand them to the department without depositing a single rupee.

When the bank pointed out the irregularity, there was panic in the PWD office. That afternoon the staff had gone for lunch and a man came into the office. He picked up the receipts kept on the table and walked out. The whole incident was recorded on CCTV cameras. Employees in the department are asking whether the contractor's man took the receipts because they were forged. A complaint has been given at Jawhar police station. The police are reported to have taken no action so far, which has surprised many.

Then, on the day of Dussehra, there was a new twist. An unidentified person submitted new FDRs worth Rs 73 lakh at the Jawhar PWD office. The department says they could belong to another contractor. It has written to the Jawhar police that these receipts have no connection with the stolen receipts.

The total of fake FDRs submitted for various works could reach at least Rs 172 crore. For now, discussion rests on this estimate. A part of it has already come to light: an FDR scam of Rs 3,47,56,506 linked to a contractor from Wada, who is said to be connected to the ruling party. After crores of rupees' worth of fake receipts were printed in SBI's name and the government was defrauded, there is a demand for a Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Sanjay Dongre, the executive engineer in charge at Jawhar PWD, said FDRs worth about Rs 3.48 crore had been submitted for the contractor's various works. According to him, the stolen FDRs are currently valued at about Rs 73 lakh. Dongre admitted that a man had left receipts in an envelope on Dussehra. He said the CCTV footage is being examined, full details have been given to the Jawhar police, and the PWD is "trying" to get a case registered.

The question is why the department is only "trying" when the facts are in front of it: the bank's warning, the CCTV recording and the engineer's own confirmation. People here are asking why the FIR is still being awaited.

The Jawhar PWD division covers Jawhar, Talasari, Mokhada and part of Wada. The area is largely tribal, and many schemes run here through the Zilla Parishad and the Tribal Development Department. It is claimed that because of this, work has in the past been shown only on paper and bills for the same work drawn three or four times. It is said that this is why officials push for postings here despite it being a tribal area. It is alleged that some officials were so brazen that they did not care even about being suspended, so long as crores reached their pockets before they left. It is alleged that they passed fake tenders in return for bribes.

All eyes are now on Public Works Minister Shivendraraje alias Babaraje Bhosale. The minister is known across the state for a clean image. Local people are demanding strict and immediate action now that the scam has come to light. Angry residents want all private contractors involved to be blacklisted and the PWD officials accused of shielding them to be suspended at once. The situation has put heavy pressure on the department's top leadership to show accountability. Until an FIR is registered, the public will keep asking whether the trust is genuine or just a show.