(MENAFN- IANS) Bhopal, July 6 (IANS) A swift and high-level investigation was initiated after a serious case of financial malpractice was unearthed in the Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh, where the alleged fabrication of repair bills for two government schools was unearthed.

School Education Minister Uday Pratap Singh has directed immediate action following the discovery of suspected fraudulent payments sanctioned under the guise of minor maintenance at Sakandi Government High School and Nipaniya Higher Secondary School, both located in the Beohari Assembly segment of Shahdol district.

The scandal came to light after detailed bills circulated on social media, revealing what appear to be inflated entries for labour and materials.

At Sakandi High School, official records claimed that 168 labourers and 65 masons were deployed for a job involving merely four litres of paint. The recorded expenditure -- Rs 1,06,984 -- has raised widespread suspicion.

Nipaniya School's records were no less startling: Rs 2,31,685 was shown as approved for the work of 275 labourers and 150 masons, who allegedly undertook tasks involving just twenty litres of paint, installation of ten windows, and four doors.

Reacting firmly to the disclosures, the Education Minister ordered the Secretary of the School Education Department and the Commissioner of Public Instruction to carry out a prompt and impartial inquiry.

He reiterated the government's zero-tolerance stance on corruption and irregularities within public institutions, emphasising that no leniency would be shown to those found guilty. The revelations have triggered public dissatisfaction and cast a shadow on the credibility of fund utilisation in rural education infrastructure.

Many have voiced concerns over how such inflated expenditures went unnoticed, calling for stronger accountability mechanisms and audit practices within local education departments.

The controversy arrives at a time when the Madhya Pradesh government is actively promoting transparency and investment across multiple sectors. This incident might serve as a catalyst for introducing stricter audit protocols, digital transparency tools, and decentralised monitoring systems involving local stakeholders.

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