FIR registered in Gosikhurd tender scam case after 15 yrs The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) has finally registered a criminal case against seven individuals, including senior officials from the water resources department, contractors, and two companies, nearly 15 years after the alleged irregularities in the Gosikhurd irrigation project tender. The case was formally filed at Bramhapuri police station on Tuesday evening, following a detailed inquiry initiated by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court. The FIR was lodged on the complaint of ACB deputy superintendent of police Anil Jittawar, who highlighted serious discrepancies in the tendering process for earthwork and construction on the D-7 distributary of the right main canal under the Gosikhurd project, which falls under the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC). The tender, undertaken during 2009-10, originally had an estimated cost of ₹12.63 crore. However, after the tender process, the work was awarded to M/s Sumedha Earthmovers Company and M/s Suvarna Enterprises (Joint Venture), Pune. Following negotiations, the contract was approved at 9.75% higher than the estimated cost, resulting in a final contract value of ₹13.86 crore. The ACB’s investigation revealed that all four experience certificates submitted by the contractors to qualify for the tender were forged. Verification with the concerned offices confirmed that no such certificates had ever been issued, indicating that the contractors had secured eligibility through fabricated documents to deceive the government. The inquiry concluded that the fraudulent certificates were a deliberate attempt to manipulate the tender process and secure the contract at an inflated price.#acb #anil_jittawar #gosikhurd #sumedha_earthmovers_company #suvarna_enterprises
