‘Didn’t seek it, yet got ₹2.5 crore furniture’:Congress MLA faces questions over school supplies; BJP threatens complaint

Furniture procured for schools and colleges from the MLA fund of Congress legislator Omkar Singh Markam has come under the scanner in Madhya Pradesh’s Dindori district over allegations of inflated pricing and irregular allocation. Official documents show that 1,032 chair-table sets were supplied to 19 higher secondary schools and four colleges at a total cost of Rs 2.49 crore, placing the cost of each set at Rs 23,650. Local furniture manufacturers, however, claimed similar sets could be supplied for Rs 4,000-5,000. The purchase was cleared through a February 9, 2026 work order issued by Dindori Collector Anju Pawan Bhadauria. The order, issued through the Planning and Statistics Department, was awarded to Bhopal-based agency NACOF following the MLA’s recommendation. The procurement has sparked a political row, with local BJP leaders alleging financial irregularities and threatening to approach higher authorities with a formal complaint. Questions have also been raised over the supply process, with allegations that the contracted agency sourced the furniture through another company. Sources further claimed that several schools and colleges that received the furniture had not placed any demand for it. First see the pictures The Dainik Bhaskar team visited one of the schools where the furniture had been supplied and physically measured and weighed the chair-table sets. Photographs and videos of the furniture were then shown to local manufacturer Anil Khanuja, who claimed that better-quality sets could be manufactured for no more than Rs 5,000 each. BJP alleges irregularities, seeks probe District BJP president Chamru Singh Netam alleged that each furniture set had been billed at Rs 23,650 despite similar products being available in the market for Rs 4,000-5,000. He said documents related to the procurement were being collected from the Planning Board office and would be forwarded to the state leadership and the government for an investigation. Colleges say no demand was raised Dr Amar Singh and Dr Ajay Koshtha said the furniture had not yet reached their institutions and was expected by next week. Both principals said their colleges already had adequate furniture and no demand had been raised with the MLA for additional sets. They added that the institutions were instead facing shortages of materials in libraries and practical laboratories. Collector says matter will be verified Dindori Collector Anju Pawan Bhadauria said expenditure under the MLA fund is decided at the discretion of the legislator. “The MLA’s proposal is sent to the Planning and Statistics Department, following which the work order is issued to the agency. The information has come through you, and we will get it verified,” she said. Procurement details