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Five years after 105 private suppliers and organisations were blacklisted over alleged irregularities in tribal welfare schemes, the Maharashtra government removed 34 of them from the blacklist.
The Maharashtra government had set up a five-member committee headed by Justice (retired) M G Gaikwad in April 2014 to probe the alleged irregularities in various welfare schemes meant for tribals during the period from 2004 to 05 and 2008 to 09.
The committee’s report was submitted to the state government and the Bombay High Court in January 2017. The report had recommended blacklisting of 105 organisations and private suppliers for committing irregularities in the implementation of the tribal welfare schemes. Based on that, these entities were blacklisted in January 2020.
“The Tribal commissioner has presented a report to the state government after field visits and scrutinising the documents,” said a senior official.
The official added that the report has recommended removing 34 private suppliers, who rightly implemented the schemes, from the blacklist.
“The report has been accepted and necessary action has been taken,” the official added.
The entities were accused of purchasing and procuring goods and materials required for tribal welfare department and tribal schools, ashram shalas.
The allegations were that the tribal welfare department made purchases without calling for tenders, and the amounts shown as disbursed towards tribal welfare were siphoned off by the nexus of politicians, officials, and contractors between 2004 and 2009.
The purchases were allegedly made in the name of various items for tackling malnutrition, distribution of milch animals among tribals, and other purposes.
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