One of the firms was allotted 0.87 acres land in the IT Park, Jabalpur in June 2017. Being an IT-enabled services firm, it had to carry out activities relevant to BPO-Call Centre, IT Training Centre and Data Processing Centre.

The audit (physical inspection) in June 2023, however, revealed that no such centre existed in the building constructed on the land allotted to the firm. However, a nursing college was found running in the building’s basement. The MPSEDC had paid Rs 53.36 lakh subsidy to the concerned firm.

Another firm was allocated land on lease at the IT Park in Jabalpur, for manufacturing electronic equipment and software. But during the audit, the building was found to be used to store medicines. The concerned firm had already been given Rs 15.78 lakh land subsidy.

One firm was allotted two plots spread in two acres of land at the IT Park in Bhopal in May 2018 for manufacturing LED lights and electronic product mix. The physical inspection in June 2023, however, revealed that the firm wasn’t manufacturing anything, but merely assembling the components of LED lights and bulbs. The MPSEDC had paid Rs 165.40 lakh subsidy to the firm.

Further, 101 firms, which were allotted 123 plots, aiming to create 6,536 jobs by 2023, created merely 96 jobs by 2023. In the 101 firms that were yet to commence operations at the time of the audit in 2023, even the construction work hadn’t started in 84 cases, while buildings were under construction in 10 cases. Just seven firms had completed the construction.