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New Indian Express
12 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Pregnant woman carried in a sling in Gujarat's Chhota Udepur, exposes crumbling claims of 'Vikas'
The video that surfaced on June 20 is a repeat of what has become a tragic routine in the area: critical patients being hoisted like loads, carried across muddy stretches to reach an ambulance waiting on the main road. Villagers reveal that even top officials, including the Collector and the Taluka Development Officer (TDO), have been stuck in the same area due to the pathetic road conditions. Yet, nothing changed. 'Pregnant women and the critically ill are regularly carried in this dangerous way,' a local resident said. 'Sometimes, people don't survive the delay," he added. Locals claim that despite multiple representations, the cries of these tribal communities remain unheard. The incident recalls an earlier tragedy from October 2024, when a woman in labor from Turkheda village died after being carried in a sling due to the absence of roads. The horrifying event led the Gujarat High Court to order the construction of roads in such regions. However, the ground reality remains unchanged, even after multiple months. The continuing string of similar incidents indicate not only administrative apathy but also a blatant disregard for the judiciary's orders. Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi launched a fierce attack on the BJP-led state government, saying, 'This is an incident that once again shames Gujarat due to the indifferent rulers. The government keeps blowing its trumpet of development and health services, but the reality is that even jeeps of Collectors have been trapped in these muddy patches.'
Indian Express
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Second son of Gujarat Minister arrested in Rs 75 crore MGNREGA ‘scam', total arrests in case now 10
The Dahod district police on Monday arrested Kiran Khabad, the younger son of Gujarat Minister Bachubhai Khabad, in connection with an alleged Rs 75 crore scam under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur talukas. His arrest comes two days after his elder brother, Balvantsinh Khabad, was taken into custody on Saturday. Along with Kiran Khabad, police also arrested three others — Rasik Rathwa, the current Deputy District Development Officer (DDO) of Dahod; Dilip Chauhan, a former Assistant Programme Officer (APO); and Pratik Baria, another personnel involved in the scheme. This brings the total number of arrests in the case so far to 10. Kiran, who had been absconding after withdrawing an anticipatory bail plea filed jointly with his brother last week, was apprehended on the Vadodara-Halol highway on Monday morning. Speaking to The Indian Express, Jagdishsinh Bhandari, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Dahod, said, 'We have arrested Kiran Khabad for his role in the scam… Along with him, Rasik Rathwa, who was then the Taluka Development Officer (TDO) of Dhanpur taluka and is currently Deputy DDO of Dahod district, has been arrested. Two others are Dilip Chauhan, an APO of MGNREGA, and Pratik Baria.' According to police, the accused were involved in 'irregularities' between January 2021 and December 2024. Primary questioning has been conducted, and they are expected to be produced before a magistrate on Tuesday. Both Kiran and Balvantsinh Khabad are accused of operating agencies that allegedly 'supplied raw materials' for MGNREGA road projects in remote villages of Dhanpur and Devgadh Baria talukas. Officials allege that contracts were granted to 28 unauthorised agencies in Devgadh Baria, bypassing proper tendering processes, for a total of Rs 60.90 crore. In Dhanpur, seven such agencies allegedly received Rs 10.10 crore. Raj Traders and NL Traders, reportedly run by the Khabad brothers, were allegedly identified among them. The FIR, lodged on April 24 following a complaint by District Rural Development Authority (DRDA) Director B M Patel, states that contracts were awarded to firms that had not placed the winning bids for supplying materials — through 'subverting the process' — and that those firms' bills has also been cleared for projects that existed only on paper. In Kuva village, Devgadh Baria, local residents brought the 'irregularities' to the notice of district authorities. Until Saturday, seven individuals had been arrested in the case: Balvantsinh Khabad; former TDO of Devgadh Baria Darshan Patel; MGNREGA accountants Jayveer Nagori and Mahipalsinh Chauhan; Gram Rojgar Sevaks Kuldeep Baria and Mangalsinh Pateliya; and technical assistant Manish Patel. The Congress party, which had formed its own fact-finding committee in January to investigate the matter, has reiterated its demand for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case further. Minister Bachubhai Khabad, who holds the panchayat and agriculture portfolios in the state government, remained unreachable for comment on Monday.
