Latest news with #NREGA
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Now, FIR for 7cr NREGA scam in Bharuch
Surat: Police registered an FIR on Friday for an alleged scam worth Rs 7 crore in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) scheme in Bharuch district. This came after an inquiry was conducted by the Bharuch district panchayat and the district rural development agency (DRDA). The inquiry uncovered irregularities worth Rs 19 lakh in 11 road projects executed by two agencies. The scope of the ongoing investigation covers road works in over 50 villages, including scrutiny of construction materials used. Police have booked Piyush Ratilal Nukani, the proprietor of Jalaram Enterprise, and Jodha Naran Sabhad, the owner of Murlidhar Enterprise. The registered addresses of both firms are in Supasi village near Veraval. The FIR was filed at Bharuch A Division police station under sections of the Indian Penal Code dealing with forgery and breach of trust. The complaint was filed by Pratik Chaudhary, assistant project officer at the DRDA. The investigation is being led by inspector R M Vasava of Bharuch A Division police station. Police said more names will be added to the FIR as their roles become clear and evidence is gathered. These agencies were awarded contracts for road construction in various talukas of Bharuch district under the NREGA scheme. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas in Dubai | Search Ads Get Info Undo The work was carried out between Jan 20, 2023, and June 30, 2024. The agencies submitted bills for the completed work and received payment accordingly. Meanwhile, Sahara Infrastructure Co, based in Bhalpura village along the Somnath-Jetpur Highway, submitted a complaint to the additional commissioner of rural development on March 13, 2024. It alleged that payments were made to these agencies in violation of tender rules. After this, DRDA Bharuch was directed to begin an inquiry. The inquiry found that the agencies compromised on construction material quality and failed to adhere to NREGA rules on labour deployment. "According to the scheme, 60% of the project cost must go towards labour and 40% to materials. The accused did not comply with this ratio. In some cases, materials specified in the tender were not used, and in others substandard materials were used," said Vasava. "The FIR is currently based on findings from 11 villages involving Rs 19 lakh in irregularities. However, road work was carried out in over 50 villages, and the total scam value may exceed Rs 7 crore," a police official added.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
MGNREGA workers protest in Kalaburagi demanding payment of pending wages
Over a hundred rural labourers working under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) staged a protest on Friday in the premises of the Zilla Panchayat office in Kalaburagi, demanding immediate payment of six months' pending wages and the fulfilment of other long-standing demands. The protesters, comprising workers from various levels of the job scheme, raised slogans demanding job security, the formation of an employee cooperative society, and the urgent disbursement of wages. Speaking at the protest, many workers expressed their distress over the non-payment of wages since December 2024. 'It has become nearly impossible to sustain our livelihoods. We are surviving on loans. It is incorrect to inordinately delay the wages as it would adverse impact on the labourers who live from hand to mouth. The government must release our salaries immediately,' said one of the protestors. Ravishankar Lavate, president of the Karnataka State Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Workers' Welfare Association, while addressing the gathering expressed discontentment over the non-payment of wages. 'We have been working for 10 to 12 years for the implementation of the NREGA scheme across the rural areas in the district. For the past five to six months, we have not been paid for the work we have completed. Managing household responsibilities has become a significant challenge without a steady income. Many families are completely dependent on the job scheme for survival. The government should understand the seriousness of the issue and act without delay.' Following the protest, a memorandum outlining their grievances and addressed the Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Panchayat was submitted to the Zilla Panchayat Planning Director, Jagadevappa. Association vice-president Roshan B.K., State Representative Raju Vanti, and several local office-bearers and the labourers were present in the agitation.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Another FIR registered for NREGA scam
Vadodara: An offence was finally registered by the district rural development agency (DRDA) for illegalities in NREGA works at Lavariya village in Devgadhbaria taluka. Kiran Khabad, the younger son of Gujarat minister of state for agriculture and panchayats, Bachu Khabad, has been arrested for this. On May 20, The Times of India reported that the illegalities that came to light in Oct pointed to a scam. In Oct, a departmental inquiry had been conducted into the allegations made by a resident of Lavariya. The probe revealed illegalities in 21 works in the village. The probe was conducted by the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), regarding which a letter was written to the rural development commissioner. It emerged that of the 79 works in the village for which allegations were made, 21 were not taken up at all. The applicant alleged that the works were just shown as completed online and payments were made for them. The value of these irregularities was Rs 18.4 lakh. The inquiry found that a technical assistant, Manish Patel and gram rozgar sevak Kanti Bariya, were culpable. Both had been employed on 11-month contracts and their services were then terminated. Manish's name cropped up again in connection with the Rs 71 crore NREGA scam, for which an offence was registered on April 24. He was arrested on May 12 with other accused persons. After the DRDA report on Lavariya village, the taluka development officer (TDO) was authorized to file an offence for the illegalities but did not do so. It has now emerged that the TDO in Oct was Darshan Patel. He was recently arrested for the Rs 71 crore NREGA scam. The chief judicial magistrate's court in Dahod on Thursday granted bail to Kiran and his elder brother Balwant Khabad in connection with the offence registered regarding the NREGA scam earlier. The court gave its order on Wednesday, but the investigating officer in the case wanted to bring some more material to the notice of the court and filed an application for it. The court held a long hearing on Thursday and granted bail to Balwant and Kiran. The brothers were brought out of Dahod jail in the evening, and a local crime branch (LCB) team present outside took Kiran into custody. It later transpired that an offence was registered on Thursday regarding the NREGA scam in Lavariya, and Kiran's name cropped up during investigations.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Time of India
NREGA scam: Four sent to judicial custody
Vadodara: Four accused person, including the sons of Gujarat minister of state for agriculture and panchayats, Bachu Khabad, held in the NREGA scam, were sent to judicial custody by a Dahod court on Wednesday and Thursday after their police custody ended. Khabad's elder son, Balwant, and taluka development officer (TDO) Darshit Patel, who was earlier posted in Dahod district, were presented in court on Wednesday after their remand ended. Both were sent to judicial custody by the court. On Thursday, the minister's younger son, Kiran, and in-charge deputy district development officer, Rasik Rathwa, were presented in court by police after their remand period ended. Both were sent to judicial custody. So far, 14 persons have been arrested in connection with the scam worth Rs 71 crore, and nine of them are in judicial custody. Agencies that did not bag contracts for supplying material for NREGA works were given orders, and their bills were paid. It also came to light that works taken up using this material remained incomplete. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Congress alleges scam in NREGA in Panchmahal too
Vadodara: After an offence was registered regarding the alleged scam in the National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREGA) scheme in Dahod district involving a BJP minister's sons based on the Congress's representations, the Congress has alleged that large-scale irregularities occurred in neighbouring Panchmahal district too. The party alleged that large sums of money were paid for material supplied by BJP members in violation of NREGA rules. The Congress raised the NREGA irregularities in Dahod, which were confirmed by an inquiry, and an offence was registered there. Congress now claims that the expenditure ratio of 60% on labour and 40% on material was not maintained in NREGA work in Jambughoda taluka of Panchmahal district. This ratio must be maintained, according to NREGA guidelines. Leader of opposition in the Gujarat assembly, Amit Chavda, said that in NREGA works taken up in the taluka in 2021-22, 79% of the money was spent on materials. In 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25, expenditure on materials was 94%, 81% and 58%. He said that in all these years, the total expenditure on NREGA in the taluka was Rs 293 crore, and just 22% was spent on labour. Chavda said all four agencies supplying material for NREGA in the taluka are linked to BJP members. These agencies are Giriraj Traders, owned by BJP member Mayank Desai, who was recently appointed the district unit president of the party, Giriraj Enterprise owned by Jignesh Desai, and Giriraj Supplies owned by Mayank's wife and former district panchayat president, Keta Desai. Chavda alleged that Chhatrasinh Baria, the owner of the fourth agency, Jay Mataji Suppliers, was also close to a BJP leader. Chavda also pointed out that of the total expense of Rs 512 crore on material for NREGA works in the district, Jambughoda taluka spent Rs 216 crore, the highest. He added that the taluka was the smallest in the district and had a small population of just 42,000. He said that large numbers of works were done in even small villages in the taluka. Mayank rejected the allegations, saying they were aimed at targeting him and the party. "It is true that I have an agency for construction material. I have been supplying materials since 2017-18. It is the officials who raise the demand for materials, and we supply it," said Mayank. He said that beyond supplying material, he had no role in the development works. "I believe the works were taken up at the places where they have been shown. When we supply material, we take a certificate for the quality of the material, after which the billing and payment take place," Mayank said. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
