C'garh: 2 FIRs filed against IAS officer for manipulating tender to hire PR firms

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Chhattisgarh Police has registered two cases against an IAS officer for allegedly manipulating the tender process to hire two public relations (PR) firms. The actions of 2005-batch IAS officer Rajesh Sukumar Toppo caused a loss of Rs 1.70 crore to the exchequer, as per the First Information Reports. The two FIRs, filed on April 10, were based on the findings of a committee which probed the tenders allotted by CG Samvad (a body under the state government's PR department), Superintendent of Police (ACB) Deepak Jha told PTI.

Toppo, as Director of Public Relations department and CEO of CG Samvad, cancelled two tenders floated for hiring agencies to publicise government's schemes, the FIRs said. He issued fresh tenders and allegedly colluded with other officials to hire two agencies, one from Ahmedabad and another from Raipur, it is alleged. The tender won by the Ahmedabad-based agency allegedly caused a loss of Rs 1.12 crore while the one awarded to the Raipur-based firm caused a loss of Rs 62 lakh, the FIRs said.

The enquiry committee, formed after the Congress came to power in December last year, pointed out that fresh tenders were floated only for the benefit of the two private agencies. After the new government took over, Toppo was shifted as joint secretary in the Secretariat, without any department. He is currently deputed to Assam on election duty and was not available for comments.

(With inputs from agencies.)