Maharashtra: Fake GR Sanctioning Rs 6.94 Crore Road Works in Ahilyanagar Triggers FIR Order
Mumbai/Ahilyanagar, 8th July 2025: In a major revelation, the Maharashtra government has directed the Public Works Department (PWD) to file a criminal complaint after discovering that a government resolution (GR) authorizing road works worth ₹6.94 crore in Ahilyanagar was forged.
According to senior PWD officials, the Mantralaya has asked the executive engineer of Ahilyanagar PWD division to lodge an FIR against those responsible for issuing the fabricated GR. “We were instructed to take legal action immediately upon confirming the document was fraudulent,” the official said on Monday.
The bogus GR, dated October 3, 2024—just ahead of the enforcement of the model code of conduct for the Assembly elections—claimed to sanction funds under the 2515 1238 budget head. This category typically covers rural infrastructure development like roads, drains, and sanitation facilities based on recommendations by elected representatives.
Following the GR’s circulation, tenders were floated at the district level, and 45 projects were reportedly approved across Ahilyanagar, Parner, Shrigonda, and Nevasa talukas. However, when contractors approached the state government for payment, authorities at the Mantralaya found no record of such a resolution being issued on the mentioned date.
“It was a clear-cut case of document forgery and misrepresentation. All disbursements were stopped immediately and a departmental probe was launched,” the official stated.
The PWD acted swiftly by scrapping the planned works and halting any financial transactions. “Not a single rupee of public money was spent. Once the fraud came to light, every project tied to the fake GR was cancelled,” added the official.
On March 28, 2025, the Rural Development Department issued a circular to all Zilla Parishads and PWD superintending engineers, instructing them to disregard the forged resolution. It emphasized verifying all communications under the 2515 1238 budget only through official government email channels. The circular also urged departments to stay alert to any suspicious GRs and report them to higher authorities. Additionally, it mandated criminal action in cases of forgery.
The 2515 1238 scheme supports low-budget rural projects ranging from ₹5 lakh to ₹30 lakh, including the construction of village roads, public toilets, and access routes to agricultural lands and cemeteries. These initiatives are typically recommended by MLAs and executed through PWD or Zilla Parishads. The scheme sees an annual outlay of ₹1,500–2,000 crore across Maharashtra.
Pune-based RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar expressed concern over the ease with which a forged GR passed through official channels. “This case highlights serious lapses in internal checks. If such high-value fraudulent documents can enter the system unnoticed, it questions the robustness of our oversight mechanisms,” he said.
