A major scam under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme has come to light in Gujarat. Opposition Congress revealed that over Rs 70 crore was misappropriated.
Following the revelations, the two sons of then Minister of State for Panchayat Bachu Khabad were arrested. They are now out on bail.
The scam allegedly involved channeling funds to firms linked to Khabad’s sons. Many of the works existed only on paper. In some cases, the land was owned by Khabad’s family members. Khabad was not included in the state cabinet expansion last month.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
A recent report tabled in the Lok Sabha has added another dimension to the controversy. It revealed that 22 lakh workers listed under the MGNREGA scheme in Gujarat were found to be fictitious.
The scheme, launched during the Congress regime, was intended to provide 100 days of employment annually to the economically weaker sections, particularly tribal communities.
According to the report, lakhs of rupees have been disbursed to non-existent workers over the past five years. In 2019–20, 1,54,654 workers were removed from the scheme. By 2023–24, this number had risen to 9,75,994. In total, 7,49,973 job cards have been cancelled in the last five years.
Amit Chavda, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president and one of the first leaders to expose the scam involving Khabad’s sons in Dahod and surrounding areas, told Vibes of India that the party has been demanding a vigilance inquiry. He maintained that if such an inquiry is conducted, scams involving crores of rupees are likely to come to light.
Chavda alleged that such large-scale irregularities could not occur without the involvement of officials at all levels, from Gandhinagar to the local field offices.
While the current focus is on fictitious MGNREGA workers, Gujarat has seen several high-profile frauds in recent months. In August this year, police busted a man posing as an IPS officer on social media. He allegedly extorted money from citizens.
In November, seven people in Dahod were arrested for acting as fake Income-Tax officials. They staged raids and demanded money. This month, four individuals were detained in Ahmedabad rural district. They impersonated central-agency officers using forged identity cards.
These cases, along with previous scams involving sham tribal sub-plan offices, counterfeit stents, and bogus degrees, highlight a growing trend of large-scale fraud in the state.
Also Read: Congress Flags MGNREGA, Other Schemes As Corruption Hotspots, Warns Of More Scams https://www.vibesofindia.com/congress-flags-mgnrega-other-schemes-as-corruption-hotspots-warns-of-more-scams/
