Bhopal — A total of 392 officials and employees of urban local bodies in Madhya Pradesh, including 135 chief municipal officers, are under investigation over alleged financial irregularities, Additional Chief Secretary for Urban Development and Housing Sanjay Dubey told reporters in Bhopal on Sunday.

Source: The Hindu

Dubey said action has been taken against 146 officials so far in connection with the alleged irregularities. Some officials have been dismissed — seven so far — while others have faced stoppage of increments or demotion, with action taken in proportion to the irregularity alleged against each official, he said. About Rs 3–4 crore has been recovered from officials and employees found to have committed irregularities, and action has also been taken against more than 80 contractors and suppliers who allegedly supplied material or services incorrectly or at incorrect rates. The process is ongoing.

Source: The Hindu

AI analysis flagged the anomalies

According to Dubey, a continuous AI-based analysis of purchases, using data from the MP e-Nagar Palika and Government e-Marketplace portals, flagged anomalies worth several crores of rupees. In an April training session in Bhopal that later drew wide attention, he cited examples of identical items bought at sharply different prices by different civic bodies — a garbage vehicle bought for Rs 2 lakh by one body and Rs 6 lakh by another, and a 60-watt LED bulb bought for Rs 306 in one place and Rs 11,800 in another.

Source: Daily Jagran

Dubey said the state government is clear that financial irregularities will not be tolerated and public money must not be misused. The alleged irregularities remain under investigation, and officials said further action and recoveries are possible as the monitoring continues.

Source: The Hindu