Officials ate 14 kilograms dry fruits at a single event in Shahdol village?

BHOPAL: Thirty kg snacks, 14kg dry fruits and 9kg fruits. No, this wasn’t a village feast. This was the order for a “choupal” in Bhadwahi village in MP’s Shahdol district on May 25, attended by about two dozen people including the district collector, other senior officials, panchayat representatives and some villagers, with bills running up to Rs 85,000.Shahdol district collector Kedar Singh, who told TOI that he “did not eat any of the dry fruits”, has ordered a probe after the bills – which were put up by the panchayat for reimbursement -- went viral on social media.The “choupal” was held under the Jal Ganga Samvardhan Mission, an initiative for water conservation.The bills include 6kg cashew, 3kg raisins, 3kg badam (almond), 9kg fruits and 30kg snacks. TOI is in possession of these bills. A total of nine such bills are making rounds on social media.This issue has come to fore, days after bills showing 168 labourers and 65 masons being deployed to paint a school in Shahdol district with just four litres of paint and another school painted with 20 litres of paint for which 275 workers and 150 masons were engaged.“I do not eat dry fruits and I didn’t eat any at the meeting either. I left early. As these bills have come to my notice, I have ordered a probe, headed by the Gopaharu janpad panchayat CEO. Action would be taken against those found guilty,” Shahdol collector Kedar Singh told .“It is good if locals who were also present at the event were provided with food. But how could so much of dry fruits be used?” Singh said.TOI talked to the owner of Govind Gupta Kirana Store situated in Bharri village whose bill has been used against purchase of dry fruits and 30 kg of snacks. “No snacks were purchased from my store. Bills must be for other expenses,” Gupta said.In-charge district panchayat CEO, Mudrika Singh, who was also present at the event, said, “It was dark. I could not see the dry fruits and their quantity. We are examining the bills; there were a lot of people there. Action would be taken against those found guilty.”Gopaharu Janpad panchayat CEO, Ved Mani Mishra, has asked the panchayat convener to examine the matter. “The official went to the panchayat, but due to incessant rain, he could not go there today. He will be visiting the village on Friday,” Mishra said.Bills are for purchase of—