Ahmedabad: A scam has come to light related to the salaries of swimming coaches in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC)-run public swimming pool. The agency responsible for providing the swimming coaches was found to be paying lower salaries than the stipulated amount, embezzling over Rs. 1 crore.

The agency, named Lucky Management Services, was supposed to pay assistant coaches Rs. 33,040. However, the agency paid only Rs. 18,000, resulting in an underpayment of Rs. 15,040 per month. The agency was required to provide 21 assistant coaches, and by underpaying them, the agency was embezzling Rs. 3.15 lakh per month. Additionally, part-time women coaches were supposed to receive Rs. 16,520, but the agency only paid Rs. 9,000. This means the agency was underpaying each part-time coach by Rs. 7,520, leading to an embezzlement of Rs. 1.88 lakh per month.

Ellisbridge MLA and city BJP President Amit Popatlal Shah raised the issue of underpaid swimming pool employees in a coordination meeting, prompting the commissioner to order a vigilance investigation, which revealed the entire scam.

Following the investigation, the agency’s contract has been canceled. The municipal commissioner has also ordered the agency to deposit the embezzled amount. Lucky Management Services was commissioned in December 2022, with the contract set to expire in November 2024. However, the contract was terminated three months early.

The agency embezzled Rs. 66.32 lakh for assistant coaches and Rs. 39.38 lakh for female coaches during this period, uncovering a total scam of Rs. 1.06 crore. DeshGujarat