Narmadapuram civic body accused of misleading MP Assembly:₹7 cr revenue discrepancy flagged; notices issued to 7 officials for submitting false reply

A case of giving a misleading and incorrect reply in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly has come to light. The reply was given on behalf of the Narmadapuram Municipal Council to a question asked during the July 2024 Assembly session.
The issue is linked to an alleged Rs 7 crore revenue irregularity between 2019–20 and 2022–23. After the matter surfaced, the Urban Administration and Development Department ordered a high-level inquiry from Bhopal. Three-member inquiry committee formed The department has formed a three-member inquiry committee at the state level.
As part of the probe, seven officers and employees, including four former Chief Municipal Officers (CMOs), have been issued notices. They have been asked to submit their explanations. Notices issued to seven officials Notices have been served to the following officials and staff: The matter has reached the Commissioner of Urban Administration, the Joint Director, and other senior officials. Rs 7 crore irregularity over four years The inquiry focuses on alleged revenue irregularities in the Narmadapuram Municipal Council from 2019–20 to 2022–23.
Initial estimates suggest a loss of around Rs 7 crore. However, the exact figure will be known only after the inquiry report is submitted. Sources said two officers linked to the period have already retired. Even so, action can still be taken against them under service rules. Question raised in Assembly The issue was raised by Narayan Singh Patta, MLA from Bichhiya constituency, during the July 2024 Assembly session.
Under Question No. 4239, he asked the Urban Development and Housing Department to provide: Minister’s reply under scrutiny In reply, Urban Administration Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya presented the audit reports in the House.
He stated that no financial irregularities were found and described the issue as a procedural error. However, officials later found that the same audit reports clearly recorded discrepancies in revenue collection.
This contradiction has led to allegations that incorrect information was given to the Assembly. Departmental investigation underway Due to the mismatch between the audit findings and the Assembly reply, a departmental investigation has now begun.
The inquiry committee will examine whether the Assembly was misled deliberately or due to negligence, and fix responsibility accordingly.