Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has blacklisted DataPro Computers Pvt. Ltd, a Visakhapatnam-based company, for forgery in the placement of candidates. The authorities have seized the company's bank accounts and banned its operation in the Union Territory while urging the centre to ban its operations across the country.
DataPro Computers Pvt. Ltd was hired in 2018 by the J&K government to implement the Jammu and Kashmir State Rural Livelihood Mission's (JKSRLM) Himayat Programme for imparting training and placement of youth for employment in the private sector. The project cost sanctioned to the company was more than Rs 30 crore with the first installment of Rs 7 crore already paid to it.
In order to receive the second installment, the company produced a list of 89 fake candidates and their bank accounts before JKSRLM showing them as having been placed in private companies. The forgery was exposed by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), following the registration of an FIR and subsequent probe. The ACB lodged an FIR (bearing No. 08/2021 dated 01.09.2021) on charges of forgery of placement documents against the Project Implementing Agency (PIA) M/s DataPro Computers Pvt. Ltd, and found that the placement documents of 89 candidates out of 136 candidates were forged.
Also read: Dehradun businessman duped of crores in land forgery
The government order, a copy of which is with ETV Bharat, issued by the Chief Operating Officer, Himayat in May this year, says that based on the findings of the ACB and after evaluating the response of PIA (Project Implementing Agency) to the show cause notice, it is clear that the agency has engaged in fraudulent practice of forging bank statements in proof of placement of the candidates to claim the funds.
“As such type of fraudulent practices lead to jeopardizing of the project objective, this office has imposed a major penalty (Rs 3 crore, 10% of the project cost) against M/s Data Pro Computers Pvt. Ltd,” the order says. It says that as per the Guidelines of the Ministry of Rural Development, it has been decided that the project of M/s DataPro Computers Pvt. Ltd. is terminated immediately and the company is blacklisted from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for a period of 3 years along with imposition of penalty of 10% of the Project Cost which amounts to Rs 3,09,36,241/- (Rupees Three Crore Nine Lakh Thirty Six Thousand Two Hundred and Forty One only).
"It has also been decided to recommend to MoRD for blacklisting the PIA across the country,” the order read. Interestingly, despite the ban in May, the PIA is operating its two offices in Anantnag (near Rehmat Alam B Ed college, Anchidora) and Behama Chowk in Ganderbal near HDFC Bank. Sources said that the company is still luring candidates for placements despite the termination of its project.
