WAJAHAT SHABIR
SRINAGAR: The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has blacklisted M/s LMES IT LLP and its Director Maharaj Krishan Wali from participating in any recruitment-related bid in the Union Territory under Rule 151 of General Financial Rules (GFR), 2017, following findings of serious irregularities in the Firemen and Firemen Driver recruitment process of 2020 in the Fire & Emergency Services Department.
As per Government Order No. 1540-JK (GAD) of 2025, issued by the General Administration Department (Vigilance), sanction has been accorded to the blacklisting of M/s LMES IT LLP, having its registered office at ICICI Bank Building, Talab Tillo, Jammu and corporate office at Greenwood City, Sector-46, Gurgaon, Haryana, along with private vendor Maharaj Krishan Wali.
The order states that a committee was constituted vide Government Order No. 1513-JK (GAD) of 2022 to enquire into allegations of irregularities in the selection process of Firemen and Firemen Drivers conducted in 2020. The committee submitted its report and recommendations on February 10, 2024, which were placed before the competent authority and thereafter the matter was referred to the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Jammu and Kashmir, for investigation.
According to the order, the Anti-Corruption Bureau conducted verification into allegations against M/s LMES IT LLP and the role of Mr. M.K. Wali, following which FIR No. 01/2025 was registered at Police Station Anti-Corruption Bureau, Central, Jammu. The verification reports were later placed before the reconstituted committee constituted under Government Order No. 1638-JK (GAD) of 2024.
The report of the Anti-Corruption Bureau found that M/s LMES IT LLP was not eligible for the work awarded to it. It stated that although the firm was L-2, it was allotted work by side-lining the L-1 bidder, and did not possess the mandatory experience of conducting similar exercises in at least two UTs, State Police organisations or Central Paramilitary Forces as required in the tender conditions.
The order further notes that M/s LMES IT LLP was not a reputed vendor as mandated in the Notice Inviting Tender, and that the firm was incorporated on November 30, 2017 after splitting from M/s Energy & Software (P) Ltd. It also records that the firm used two balance sheets and income tax returns of M/s Energy & Software (P) Ltd along with one of its own, whereas the e-NIT required balance sheets and IT returns of the past three years.
It further states that M/s LMES IT LLP was the L-2 TRP firm with negotiated rates of Rs 179 per candidate, while M/s UMC Technology Pvt Ltd, Kolkata had emerged as L-1 with a quoted rate of Rs 107.50 per candidate. However, the L-1 firm was never called for negotiations and its candidature was neither accepted nor rejected by the Board.
The order also records that the Director of the L-2 firm, Maharaj Krishan Wali, holding 99 per cent share, was also a resource person with the earlier selected TRP firm M/s Timing Technology Pvt Ltd. It notes that the earlier recruitment conducted by the said firm in 2018 had been cancelled by the government with directions to change the TRP firm. Despite knowledge that M.K. Wali was associated with M/s Timing Technology Pvt Ltd, his firm M/s LMES IT LLP was allotted work, even though it was the L-2 bidder.
The government order states that it is thus established that Mr. M.K. Wali was facilitated by the Fire and Emergency Services Department and given undue leverage.
The recommendations for blacklisting of the firm and the private vendor were received from the Home Department and placed before the competent authority, following which the sanction to blacklist both parties was issued.
