Rajasthan ex-minister Mahesh Joshi booked in Jal Jeevan Mission ‘scam’

The JJM’s fiscal advisor, main engineer, further main engineer, superintendent technologist and enforcement technologist person been named successful the FIR.

The alleged scam pertains to alleged fiscal irregularities and corruption successful awarding contracts related to the scheme. The cardinal government’s Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) aims to supply harmless and capable drinking h2o done household pat connections and is being implemented successful Rajasthan by the PHED.

According to sources, the ACB got a pb from aggregate email IDs successful the case. According to the ACB, interrogation of enforcement technologist Mayalal Saini successful Behror revealed corruption successful JJM works. Apart from the PHED officials, the FIR has named Mahesh Mittal, proprietor of M/s Shri Ganapati Tubewell and Padmachand Jain, proprietor of Shri Shyam Tubewell Company, Shahpura, Jaipur.

Both the companies, successful connivance with the PHED engineers of Jaipur Region I and II, had allegedly submitted fake acquisition certificates and income certificates and got tenders worthy Rs 900 crore nether the scheme.

The FIR states, “It has besides go wide from the probe that the officials of the PHED had anterior cognition astir the said fake certificates. However, the PHED officials, ignoring the said facts, not lone allotted the tenders to ineligible firms but besides did not instrumentality enactment against these firms, and continued to supply amerciable benefits by making continuous payments to them.”

When contacted, Mahesh Joshi described it arsenic a “systematic targeting” done by the BJP government. “They tin people maine arsenic overmuch arsenic they want. I haven’t done thing amerciable and I americium acceptable to afloat cooperate with the authorities if I americium called for interrogation. I person afloat religion successful the justness strategy of the country,” Joshi said, adding “truth volition prevail”.

In September 2023, the ACB had registered an FIR against Shyam Tubewell and Ganpati Tubewell connected charges of obtaining tenders by submitting fake certificates. Rajasthan was ranked 2nd successful the state successful presumption of spending wealth nether the JJM till June 2023.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is besides probing a wealth laundering lawsuit linked to the alleged irregularities successful the implementation of the strategy successful Rajasthan.