A massive financial fraud has surfaced in Gujarat, shaking the very foundations of public trust.
In a startling admission made yesterday in the Gujarat Assembly, the government reportedly confirmed a Rs 123.22 crore scam under the Nal Se Jal scheme in Mahisagar district. These funds were meant to bring drinking water to rural homes. Shockingly, the money was brazenly looted over a span of four years.
According to reports, the Rs 123.22 crore was earmarked for essential infrastructure projects. Laying drinking water pipelines, digging wells, and installing tube wells in over 620 villages covering every taluka of Mahisagar district were part of the plans.
However, rather than executing these crucial public works, a group of government officials had other ideas. They allegedly hatched a criminal conspiracy to siphon off the funds for their personal gain.
CID Crime (Vadodara Zone) investigations uncovered that the officials colluded with their associates, falsified project documents to fabricate the appearance of completed work.
First, they produced bogus records claiming that pipelines had been laid, household water connections installed, and other tasks carried out, claimed a media report.
However, much of the sanctioned work was either left incomplete or never even initiated.
Reports added that their fraudulent actions led to a confirmed loss of Rs 123.22 crore to the state exchequer.
Late on Sunday night, the Vadodara unit of CID (crime) registered an offence regarding the scheme. Twelve officials of the Water and Sanitation Management Organisation (WASMO), a state Gujarat govt agency were tasked with executing the flagship tap water project.
According to another report, the FIR lodged by WASMO unit manager Girish Agola states that not only were the works left incomplete, but phony documents were created to show that adequate work was carried out.
The FIR reportedly accuses former unit manager AG Rajpara and 11 other officials. At the time of this article going live, while no contractors were accused in the offence, the police assured that they would investigate the involvement of any other people.
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