Serious questions have been raised over the functioning of the Soil and Water Conservation Department in Gadchiroli district after official records indicated that tenders worth nearly ₹100 crore were allegedly issued, scrutinised, approved, and awarded on 14 October 2024—the very day a new Executive Engineer assumed charge in the district.
The matter has now been escalated to the District Collector, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Lokayukta, and the State Information Commission, following a detailed, research-based petition supported by RTI applications, departmental data, and tender documents.
Same-Day Transfer and Tender Finalisation Raise Red Flags
According to official records, the concerned Executive Engineer was relieved from Akola district on 14 October 2024 and is shown to have taken charge at Gadchiroli on the same day. The Akola–Gadchiroli journey requires several hours of inter-district travel, along with formal charge-handover procedures.
Despite this, multiple high-value tenders under the Maharashtra Water Conservation Corporation and related schemes—Jalyukt Shivar 2.0 and Kshatrapati Sambhaji Yojana—were finalised on the same date.
RTI applications seeking details such as:
- Exact time of relieving
- Travel records
- Joining report
- Charge-handover memorandum
- Movement and attendance registers
have not been answered with certified records so far. This non-disclosure has intensified suspicions of back-dated approvals, procedural manipulation, and file fabrication.
Administrative Impossibility of ₹100-Crore Tender Processing
Experts familiar with Maharashtra’s procurement rules point out that tenders of such magnitude compulsorily require:
- Administrative approval
- Technical sanction
- Tender publication and response period
- Technical and financial scrutiny
- Committee proceedings
- Approval by competent authority
“Completing all these mandatory stages on the very first day of joining—after travel from another district—is administratively implausible,” said a retired senior engineer, speaking on condition of anonymity.
This has led to allegations of pre-drafted tenders, pre-selected contractors, and deliberate bypassing of due process, commonly referred to as tender feeding.
Pattern of Contractor Concentration and Cartelisation
RTI disclosures reveal that a small cluster of contractors repeatedly secured multiple high-value works across several talukas, including Etapalli, Dhanora, Armori, Kurkheda, Korchi, Ahiri, Mulchera, and Bhamragadh.
In several cases:
- Tenders were accepted at 4.45% to 4.59% above estimated rates
- Part-2 costs running into crores were added later
- Justifications for higher rates were not proactively disclosed under Section 4 of the RTI Act
Investigators allege that tender conditions were tailor-made, publications were issued in low-circulation newspapers, and genuine competition was systematically excluded.
Financial Anomalies Under Jalyukt Shivar 2.0
Official government data updated till 26 August 2025 shows:
- Villages covered: 184
- Works proposed: 6,516 (₹16,957.12 lakh)
- Works approved: 5,118 (₹10,377.05 lakh)
- Works shown completed: 3,187
- Actual expenditure: ₹3,967.27 lakh
The significant gap between approvals, reported completions, and expenditure has triggered concerns of:
- Inflated estimates
- Incomplete or paper-only works
- Diversion of public funds
- Serious audit failures
RTI Act Violations and Alleged Record Suppression
Multiple RTI applications filed between September and December 2025 seeking:
- Tender files
- Measurement books
- Payment vouchers
- Inspection reports
have reportedly received evasive replies, uncertified documents, or no response within statutory timelines.
No exemptions under Sections 8 or 9 of the RTI Act were cited, potentially attracting penalty provisions under Section 20, which include personal fines on responsible officers.
Disproportionate Assets and Withheld Property Returns
The petition also flags prima facie indicators of disproportionate assets, including properties allegedly held directly and through relatives or associates.
Despite repeated RTI applications, Annual Immovable Property Returns (IPRs) of the concerned officer have not been disclosed, raising further questions about transparency and compliance.
Demand for High-Level Probe
The petition seeks:
- Seizure and sealing of all tender and payment records (2022–2025)
- Independent inquiry by the ACB and Lokayukta
- Investigation into disproportionate and benami assets
- Enforcement of RTI penalties
- Transfer or suspension of the officer during the inquiry
Silence from Authorities So Far
As of publication, the Soil and Water Conservation Department has issued no official clarification regarding the same-day tender approvals or RTI non-compliance. The District Administration has acknowledged receipt of the petition, but no further action has been disclosed publicly.
