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Time of India
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Gujarat Congress demands CBI investigation into MNREGA scam
Gandhinagar: The state unit of the Congress party has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the MNREGA scam in Gujarat. They alleged that minister Bachubhai Khabad, whose two sons were arrested for their involvement in the scam, is obstructing the investigation. Speaking to reporters in Gandhinagar, Amit Chavda, leader of the Congress Legislature Party, said that bills worth over Rs 3 crore were paid without any work being done under MNREGA on 12 land survey numbers belonging to Khabad's family. "We demand a CBI investigation into the scam. The minister has been obstructing the investigation in the case. Why has he not been removed from the cabinet?" Chavda questioned. Chavda said that despite the Congress submitting complaints with evidence of widespread MNREGA-related corruption, the govt has so far investigated cases only in Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur talukas. "A CBI probe will bring to the fore similar corruption cases in different districts," Chavda said.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Gujarat Confidential: Ministers' absence
Minister of State for Panchayat and Agriculture Bachubhai Khabad has been a talking point in the corridors of the Secretariat after the arrests of his two sons in alleged scams related to the MGNREGA scheme in Dahod district, with Khabad having been missing from the meeting of the state cabinet for two occasions now. However, sources said that in the last cabinet meeting held on May 28, four other ministers were also not present for various reasons. The four ministers, sources added, were Parshottam Solanki, Harsh Sanghavi, Rushikesh Patel and Kubder Dindor. Posters still up 'Operation Sindoor' banners and posters in black and red put up in Bhuj at major locations, roads, and roundabouts remain even a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public event held in the city on May 26. The Prime Minister had also taken out a rally less than a kilometre away. The banners and posters congratulate and laud the bravery of the Indian Armed Forces. Kutch Collector Anand Patel told this paper that during the 'Operation Sindoor', people in Bhuj in Kutch district were among those who actively responded to calls for blackouts and other acts.
Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Indian Express
Dahod MGNREGA ‘scam': Gujarat Minister Khabad's younger son sent to four days in police custody
A court in Dahod on Tuesday sent Gujarat Minister of State for Panchayat and Agriculture Bachubhai Khabad's younger son Kiran Khabad to four days in police custody, following his arrest on Monday in connection with an alleged Rs 71 crore Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scam in Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur talukas of Dahod. According to police, three more persons have been arrested, taking the tally to 14 so far. Along with Kiran Khabad, Dahod Deputy District Development Officer (DDO) Rasik Parmar — who was the then taluka development officer of Dhanpur, and Parth Baria, the owner of one of the agencies supplying material have also been sent to four days in police custody while former Assistant Programme Officer Dilip Chauhan — also said to be distant relative of the Khabads — has been sent to 10 days in police custody. Dahod Deputy Superintendent of Police Jagdishsinh Bhandari told The Indian Express that the police had sought remand for 14 days. 'We had applied for 14 days remand but the court granted a remand of 10 days for Chauhan, and four days for Kiran Khabad and others. We also have Balvantsinh (Bachubhai's older son) in custody until Thursday… The investigation involves sensitive details of the transactions and having the accused in custody together will help the probe,' Bhandari said. While Bhandari refused to detail the grounds put forth in the remand application, he said that on Tuesday, the Dahod district police arrested three more persons, then Assistant Programme Officer of Dhanpur Bhavesh Rathod, MIS operator Sanjay Baria and the owner of another agency that supplied materials, Jagdish Baria, taking the total number of arrested accused to 14 so far. A senior police official told this newspaper that the probe was on to ascertain the exact amount of the scam as a total of 35 'unauthorised' agencies, including 28 in Devgadh Baria had been paid from the MGNREGA funds towards alleged supply of materials. 'There are certainly other persons the police are looking for. They are owners of the other agencies, who have also been paid for supply of material. The police are also probing if Balvantsinh or Kiran Khabad through their influence in the area floated any additional agencies under names of others. So far, on record, only two agencies — Raj Construction and Raj Traders— reflect against their names,' the official said. 'During the investigation, if owners of other agencies who received payments cannot be tracked down, the probe will obviously take a different turn,' the official added. On Tuesday, in a video issued by close aides of Bachubhai Khabad, the minister was heard blaming the Congress party for 'baseless allegations'. Stating that he and his sons were involved in the business of supplying material and were not engaged for 'labour contracts', Khabad said, 'The Congress has been making allegations (of MGNREGA scam) since last six months)… There has been an allegation against 35 agencies. My sons also run a material supplying business since 2018. They do not have any other business. We can sell this even in the open market. We do not have labour nor have we been given the contract for labour work in this (project)… The administration is conducting an investigation and I trust the probe of the administration. Whatever it concludes, we will accept…' Khabad further added, 'The Congress has been making such allegations every year since long. They have moved the High Court against me on two occasions. The High Court has given me a clean chit.' 'I have been in politics for 25 years and not a single allegation of corruption has been made during my tenure as a Cabinet Minister. In this term, my department has worked hard to move Panchayat processes online to ensure transparency … The baseless allegations made by the Congress are a sign of their frustration,' the minister said. Bachubhai Khabad did not respond to calls and text messages from this newspaper, seeking a direct comment on the issue.
The Wire
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Cops Arrest Gujarat Minister's Second Son in Alleged MGNREGS Funds Scam
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Government Cops Arrest Gujarat Minister's Second Son in Alleged MGNREGS Funds Scam The Wire Staff 3 minutes ago Bachubhai Khabad is the minister of state for panchayat and agriculture. Gujarat minister of state for panchayat and agriculture Bachubhai Khabad. Photo: Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now New Delhi: Days after taking Gujarat minister Bachubhai Khabad's elder son Balvant into custody in connection with a 71 crore Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) scam, the state police on Monday (May 19) arrested his younger son Kiran in the same case. 'On Monday, police arrested the minister's younger son Kiran, a former taluka development officer (TDO), and two assistant programming officers (APO),' said deputy superintendent of police and investigating officer in the case Jagdishsinh Bhandari, reported Press Trust of India. The police have said that the accused were involved in a fraudulent scheme wherein different contracted agencies received payments from the government without finishing the assigned work or supplying the required materials under MGNREGS. Officials said that Balvant and Kiran are proprietors of such agencies which are implicated in the scam involving fraudulent MGNREGS projects in the state. Khabad, the father of both the arrested accused, is the minister of state for panchayat and agriculture. The police had started the investigation after during field visits, it was found by the district rural development agency (DRDA) that while payments were made for infrastructure projects such as roads, check wells and stone bunds, they were never actually constructed. It was also found that those agencies which were ineligible for government contracts along with those which didn't even participate in the official tendering process were issued payments. Earlier, Balvant was nabbed by the police in Dahod. According to the police, some agencies which had been contracted for various works, did not finish the projects but received payment from the government. These agencies produced bogus bills. Balvant is one of the owners of these agencies and is accused of committing fraud in 'areas under Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur talukas of tribal-dominated Dahod district. Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News Police Arrest Gujarat Minister's Son in Rs 71-Crore MGNREGS Funds Scam Demand For Work Under MGNREGS Goes Up, Actual Job Creation Declines: Report 'Gujarat Samachar' Co-Owner Bahubali Shah's Arrest and Bail: Here's What Happened Gujarat Samachar Owner Held by ED, Congress Says Critical Writing Against Modi Govt Led to Arrest Supreme Court Flags ED's 'Pattern of Allegations Without Any Evidence' Seshachalam Tragedy: A Decade of Silence and Desperate Call for Justice SC Dismisses Former IPS Officer Sanjiv Bhatt's Plea Seeking Bail and Suspension of Life Sentence Poonch Rallies Around Muslim Cleric Killed in Pak Shelling Who Was Labelled 'Terrorist' By TV Channels UP: Over Two Dozen People Arrested for 'Anti-National' and 'Misleading' Posts on Operation Sindoor View in Desktop Mode About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
Hindustan Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Gujarat minister Bachubhai Khabad's second son arrested over alleged fraud
Gujarat minister Bachubhai Khabad's second son and four others were arrested on Monday for their alleged involvement in irregularities of ₹71 crore in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) scheme implementation in Dahod, a police officer said. Kiran Khabad was held two days after his elder brother, Balvant Khabad, was arrested on May 17 in the same case. The two were on the run for around three weeks. 'We arrested Kiran Khabad, son of minister Khabad, along with four others on Sunday night,' said Dahod police superintendent Rajdeepsinh Zala. He identified the four as Dahod's deputy district development officer, Rasik Rathwa, taluka panchayat officers Dilip Chauhan, Bhavesh Rathod, and Parth Baria, the proprietor of one of the 35 firms allegedly involved in the irregularities. Zala said Baria's firm received ₹5.20 crore of MGNREGS funds. The accused have been booked for cheating, breach of trust, forgery, and criminal conspiracy. So far, 12 people have been arrested in the case. The arrests followed a probe into payments to the contracted firms without completing work or supplying goods. The irregularities relate to MNREGA projects in Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur talukas of the tribal-dominated Dahod district. They came to light this year when the district rural development authority conducted an inquiry after representations about the irregularities. The probe found infrastructure projects only on paper. Funds meant for tribal employment were allegedly diverted to firms connected to the accused. Police described the irregularities as a well-orchestrated fraud involving fictitious projects and forged documents, even as the investigations were going on. Between January 2021 and December 2024, 35 contracted firms allegedly siphoned off ₹71 crore by producing fake work completion certificates and invoices. Balvant and Kiran Khabad own two of these firms, Shri Raj Construction and Shri Raj Traders, and allegedly received money even as they did not win bids for MNREGA works. Shri Raj Construction allegedly received approximately ₹82 lakh for the supply of goods between January 2021 and December 2024, according to the First Information Report filed in the case, a copy of which HT has seen. Kiran Khabad's firm was allegedly paid nearly ₹30 crore. Balwant and Kiran Khabad applied for anticipatory bail in a Dahod court but later withdrew their petitions as they were evading arrest. Bachubhai Khabad, who is the minister of state for panchayats and agriculture, has not commented on the arrests of his sons. On March 5, the Opposition Congress raised concerns about the MNREGA irregularities in Dahod in the state assembly. Congress leader Amit Chavda alleged corruption worth over ₹100 crore and demanded an investigation. On Saturday, Chavda slammed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for mishandling the case. He said the MNREGA fraud was part of 'widespread corruption' and criticised the government for allowing firms linked to the Khabad family to receive unchecked payments for years. He demanded a Special Investigation Team probe, alleging that the current investigation was insufficient and that 'bigger names' could emerge with a deeper inquiry. The state government had said a Lokpal committee probe was going on, and action would follow after its completion.
