By Special Correspondent
Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee on Tuesday alleged large-scale, organised and cartel-driven corruption in the School Education Department through the Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI), claiming it has become a hub for planned irregularities in government procurement.
Addressing a joint press conference, MPCC secretary Rajkumar Singh and party spokespersons Santosh Singh Parihar and Jitendra Mishra said corruption under the present state government was no longer an exception but had evolved into a systemic model. They alleged that tenders and procurement policies across departments were being designed to eliminate open competition and benefit select companies.
Citing documentary evidence, the Congress pointed to the DPI’s interactive panel supply tender, alleging that eligibility conditions were framed to restrict competition and favour pre-selected firms. Documents, the party claimed, showed that lower-priced bids were deliberately ignored and the tender process lacked transparency.
The Congress further alleged discriminatory qualification practices, claiming LG and Samsung were declared eligible while Acer was disqualified on arbitrary grounds. Comparisons were drawn with Assam, where similar panels were procured at significantly lower prices with clearer specifications and warranties. Data from the GeM portal and district-level purchases were also cited to question why bulk state-level procurement was costlier.
The party alleged a new “cartel model” of tender distribution and warned that projects worth Rs 800–Rs 1,000 crore were already being pre-booked. It demanded a high-level, impartial investigation, re-evaluation of tenders through L1-based open competition, and strict legal action against those involved, asserting it would continue its fight to protect public funds.
