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New Indian Express
08-08-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Gujarat MGNREGA mess: Jobs shrink, Rs 4.37 crore wages unpaid, corruption FIRs pile up
AHMEDABAD: In a damning admission, the Central Government has confirmed in the Rajya Sabha that large-scale corruption has marred the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) in Gujarat's Dahod district, triggering three FIRs. The disclosure comes amid a steady fall in beneficiaries, mounting wage liabilities of over Rs 4 crore, and a high-profile Rs 71 crore scam case involving the sons of a state minister. Corruption in Gujarat's flagship rural jobs scheme has moved from whispers to official record. On Friday, the Central Government admitted in the Rajya Sabha that MGNREGA in Dahod district is riddled with irregularities, with three separate FIRs already lodged by government officers BM Patel, SV Bambharoliya, and JG Ravat. The revelation, made in response to a question by Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil, comes on the back of simmering outrage over alleged embezzlement by politically connected figures. Only months ago, Balwant and Kiran Khabad, sons of Gujarat Minister Bachu Khabad, were arrested for their alleged role in siphoning off Rs 71 crore from MGNREGA funds in Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur talukas. Both are currently out on bail. Gohil wasted no time in framing the issue as a political scandal, accusing BJP leaders and their associates of 'corruption worth crores' while the state's chief minister 'threatens sarpanchs' to keep the system pliable. "In reply to my question in the Rajya Sabha today, the central government has admitted there is massive corruption in MGNREGA in Gujarat, corruption worth crores by BJP leaders and their cronies. In Dahod alone, three government officers have been forced to file FIRs, and 10 investigation teams are already at work. Instead of acting, the Chief Minister is threatening sarpanchs, while his own ministers and bigwigs are looting crores. I demand strict action against them," said Gohil. But the problem runs deeper than criminal charges. The same Rajya Sabha data shows a steady erosion of MGNREGA's reach in Gujarat from 0.16 crore beneficiaries in 2022–23, to 0.15 crore in 2023–24, and just 0.13 crore in 2024–25. On top of that, as of July 28, 2025, the state is staring at Rs 4.37 crore in pending wage liabilities. The corruption complaints are not limited to Dahod; similar allegations have surfaced in districts like Bharuch and Devgadh Baria, but Dahod now stands as the epicentre of a scandal that fuses political muscle, public money, and vanishing rural entitlements into one grim picture.
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
DRDA files Rs 71cr scam complaint in MGNREGA projects in Dahod
Vadodara: The District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) in Dahod has filed a police complaint over a scam amounting to at least Rs 71 crore under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA), involving two talukas in the district. The offence alleges large-scale irregularities, including the procurement of materials from unauthorised vendors and falsification of completed work records. The complaint was lodged by Dahod district DRDA director BM Patel following an internal inquiry that uncovered the irregularities. The district panchayat had directed the DRDA to investigate the matter twice—first in Jan and again in March. The issue gained traction after Congress Legislative Party leader Amit Chavda raised it in the state assembly in March, prompting the govt to promise a formal investigation. According to Patel's disclosure, materials worth Rs 60.9 lakh were procured from unauthorised vendors in Devgadh Baria taluka , while another Rs 10.1 lakh worth of materials were sourced similarly in Dhanpur taluka. Under the MGNREGA procurement policy, materials must be purchased from vendors selected through a competitive bidding process, with contracts awarded to those offering the lowest rates. However, vendors outside this process not only supplied materials but also received payment for their bills. The scam goes beyond material procurement. Investigations revealed that completion certificates were issued for roadworks that were either incomplete or not executed at all. Of the 60.6 km of road construction planned under the scheme, only 28.7 km has actually been completed on the ground. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Upto 15% Discount for Salaried Individuals ICICI Pru Life Insurance Plan Get Quote Undo The irregularities have surfaced specifically in Duva and Redhana villages of Devgadh Baria taluka and Simamoi village in Dhanpur taluka. While the FIR does not name specific individuals, it holds accountable those heading the agencies that misappropriated funds and govt officials who failed in their duties. The Congress party, however, has alleged that a minister's son is involved in the scam.
