Mumbai, March 16 – Maharashtra Industry Minister Uday Samant revealed in the State Legislative Council on Monday that fake passes were being sold for anywhere between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000 during the ongoing budget session.
"Investigations suggest that the perpetrators used colour photocopies of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) letterhead to mimic official correspondence. By forging the names and signatures of department officials, these individuals successfully bypassed security protocols," the Minister said.
Minister Samant also told the House that certain peons were allegedly involved in distributing nearly 50 such fraudulent passes.
The Maharashtra Minister's statement comes despite high-alert security measures following a recent bomb threat. A major security lapse has come to light at the Vidhan Bhavan.
It has been revealed that several individuals gained unauthorized entry into the high-security premises using bogus passes generated through forged documents.
Nearly two days ago, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar had issued strict directives to tighten entry norms.
These orders restricted passes to legislators, Cabinet Ministers and authorised government officials.
These measures were implemented after an anonymous email threatened to blow up the Vidhan Bhavan.
Although, the threat was later declared a hoax following a thorough search operation, the subsequent revelation by the Minister of a "pass-for-cash" racket has raised serious questions about the integrity of the building's security apparatus.
Nationalist Congress Party MLC Amol Mitkari also raised concerns on the social media, questioning how activists from specific organisations managed to gain entry and stay on the premises for the entire day.
"Even with high-security alerts in place, some activists were seen inside, dining in the canteen and distributing specific books. Who is responsible for these individuals entering the premises when security was supposed to be at its peak?" he asked.
Responding to the seriousness of the situation, Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde has ordered the formation of an inquiry committee.
He assured the House that those found guilty would face strict action before the conclusion of the current Assembly session.
Maharashtra Minister of State for Home (Rural), Pankaj Bhoyar, said that a final decision on the matter would be taken following a formal report from the investigation agency.