Lockdown scam: HMDA claims fake travel bills

Bills worth ` 34K for sedans, ` 50K for SUVs have been submitted

Despite the complete lockdown in April, and partial lockdown in May, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority has paid `2.75 crore for hired vehicles that are to be used only for official purposes.

Being a non-essential service, the HMDA was shut in April and was partially functional in May. Though no official work was done, bills worth

`34,000 each have been claimed for sedans and

`50,000 for for SUVs for the two months, which is the full allowance that is allowed for each category.

According to highly placed sources in HMDA, in order to claim the vehicle allowance, an employee has to travel a minimum of 2,000 km on official work. Sedans are used by mid-level officials and SUVs by heads of departments. In all, the HMDA can hire 32 sedans and five SUVs for field inspections.

Investigation revealed that most of the officials had given their private vehicles on rent to operators, and hired the same vehicles. Apart from their regular travel and fuel allowance, they have been these ‘hired’ vehicles for which the HMDA is billed.

When queried about this, a senior HMDA official told Deccan Chronicle that the bills were cleared following due process. He said the HMDA did pay the full amount due to all officials; for some they paid only `17,000 per vehicle after scrutinising the attendance.

When asked how officials can travel while HMDA was closed and notified as a non essential service, he said that the bills have been cleared for the welfare of drivers who indirectly depend upon HMDA for salaries. Despite clearing bills without scrutinising the attendance, the official said he had just followed the instructions of higher authorities and he refused to comment further on officials owning hired vehicles.

INVESTIGATION REVEALED that most of the officials had given their private vehicles on rent to operators, and hired the same vehicles.

WHEN ASKED how officials can travel while HMDA was closed and notified as a non essential service, he said that the bills have been cleared for the welfare of drivers who indirectly depend upon HMDA for salaries.