Procurement gap worth Rs 250 crore? Madhya Pradesh acts against 392 civic officials

The disclosure comes against the backdrop of a departmental review in which Dubey confronted municipal officials over discrepancies in the payments made for goods procured by them.

Days after a video surfaced showing Madhya Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Dubey warning urban local body officials that procurement irregularities would not be tolerated, the senior bureaucrat disclosed that action has been taken against 392 officials, including 135 Chief Municipal Officers (CMOs).

Dubey said seven officials have been dismissed from service and action has been taken against more than 80 contractors and suppliers, besides recovering Rs 3-4 crore from officials and employees over irregular payments.

The disclosure comes against the backdrop of a departmental review in which Dubey confronted municipal officials over discrepancies in the payments made for goods procured by them.

Dubey said the action varied according to the seriousness of the irregularities and the negligence involved. “The greater the irregularity and the more serious the negligence, the stronger the action taken against the person concerned,” he said.

“We recovered around Rs 3-4 crore from officials and employees who had made irregular payments. We took action against more than 80 contractors and suppliers who had provided these materials or services… The process is continuing,” he said.

A presentation by Anshuman Raj, Additional Managing Director of the Madhya Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation, had cited purchases worth approximately Rs 1,134 crore through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) by 374 urban local bodies over three years and estimated that around Rs 250 crore could have been saved if purchases had been made at average prices.

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More