Slips of deceit: Nalagarh press caught printing bogus mela slips

In a major revelation exposing cracks in the fund collection mechanism of the Shoolini Mela Committee, the Nalagarh police seized unauthorised donation slips from a printing press last evening, bringing to light possible misuse in the name of the three-day state-level fair.

The police acted swiftly after the Nalagarh SDM alerted them about Dinesh Printing Press, which was reportedly printing donation slips without authorisation. During the raid, the police found Anil Kumar and Ravinder operating the press. Upon inspection, yellow and white slips bearing serial numbers 652 and 642, titled “Shoolini Mela Committee, Solan”, were discovered on a rack above the printing area. These slips also featured the name and designation of the DC, Solan.

In a more serious turn, a scanned white slip with serial number 7201 and the bank account details of the DC-cum-Chairman of the Mela Committee was also found. The press staff failed to provide any authorisation or legitimate explanation for printing such materials, according to Baddi Additional SP Ashok Verma.

The incident points to the growing vulnerabilities in the existing system of donation collection for the fair, where expenditures often run into crores. Officially, donation collection is carried out by distributing bill books to various departmental officers. In this case, one such bill book was handed to a field officer in Nalagarh, who passed the responsibility on to a food and civil supplies depot holder.

The police were also investigating who would benefit from the QR code on the slips, as it could reveal the identity of the real perpetrator.

Around 1,200 slips were in production, but according to the depot holder, none had been circulated or used for financial transactions.

An FIR has been registered under multiple sections, including cheating, forgery, creating false documents or electronic records, and criminal conspiracy. The police are continuing their investigation to determine the full extent of the scam and whether others are involved.

This incident also raises serious questions about transparency and accountability in the management of Shoolini fair funds. With frequent reports of funds being siphoned off, there is growing concern over rising expenditures—often used to hire celebrity performers—while local artists are overlooked. Stakeholders are calling for reforms to ensure that the crores collected are used meaningfully, promoting regional talent and reducing unnecessary costs.