3 days ago
Co-op recruitment scam:ACB seeks guv's nod toprosecute ex-min Anjana
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Jaipur: The state anti-corruption bureau (ACB) has sought governor Haribhau Badge's permission to prosecute Congress politician and former minister of cooperation Udailal Anjana in connection with alleged irregularities in the recruitment of managers for Gram Seva Cooperative Societies (GSS).
The case centres on the appointment of over 1,100 individuals who, officials say, were hired in violation of prescribed norms during the 2022–23 recruitment process when Congress was in power. Many of those selected were reportedly unqualified.
Sources said ACB has already received approval to investigate some officers from the cooperation department under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Anjana, a senior Congress functionary and former Lok Sabha MP, has been a prominent figure in state politics since the late 1980s.
A three-time MLA from Nimbahera assembly seat, Anjana was also elected to Lok Sabha from the Chittorgarh seat after defeating former Union defence minister Jaswant Singh in the 1998 parliamentary elections. The case adds to Congress' recent troubles, following the former minister Mahesh Joshi's arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in April last year for his alleged involvement in the Rs 900-crore Jal Jeevan Mission scam.
An ACB officer said on condition of anonymity that the previous govt decided to regularise appointments made before 2017. For recruitments made after that, the Cooperative Recruitment Board was tasked with the process. But according to officials, key checks were ignored.
The cooperative dept later raised concerns about the process and requested detailed data of eligible candidates, leading to further scrutiny of appointments.
After allegations emerged linking him to the recruitment scam, Anjana told TOI Sunday he had nothing to hide and was ready to face any inquiry. Accusing BJP govt of targeting him Anjana said the govt should first investigate its own cooperative minister — Gautam Kumar Dak — before probing others.
"He (Dak) has been accused of shielding individuals involved in corruption worth crores by using his political influence," Anjana said.
He also pointed to alleged irregularities in the distribution of tractors through the Rajkishan Custom Hiring Centre.
The ACB has been investigating suspected irregularities in recruitment within the cooperative department for several months. In Feb 2025, the agency launched a probe into a suspected scam involving the unlawful regularisation of nearly 100 contractual employees in cooperative banks in rural parts of Jalore district. ACB teams reportedly seized documents indicating irregularities in the screening process conducted between 2021 and 2023.
