₹409 cr developmental works claimed to bag ₹2 cr award:Panchayats in Khandwa given conditional targets to boost numbers; tainted officials put in charge of projects

The Khandwa Water Conservation Public Participation Campaign is under intense scrutiny after allegations of large-scale fraud. Officials, including the Collector and CEO who received awards from the President, are now being investigated. Reports reveal that many works were never carried out on the ground, yet photos were uploaded online to claim completion. Government committees are examining the scam, which involved manipulating targets and misusing public funds worth Rs 409 crore. Fake progress reports exposed Investigations show that officials set targets to appear first in the country for water conservation works. Many projects were not executed properly, but photographs were uploaded to the official portal to indicate progress. Only small amounts of money were withdrawn, and works were later closed, creating a false impression of completion. Officers and engineers under suspicion Sources claim Collector Rishav Gupta and CEO Dr. Nagarjun B. Gowda pushed a target-based system to win awards. Several engineers monitoring the works had previous allegations of embezzlement. Target manipulation for awards Each Gram Panchayat had targets for water conservation works. Many works were approved online but minimally executed in reality. For example, a Gram Panchayat might get four farm pond works approved at Rs 6 lakh each, withdraw 10% of the funds, and mark the work as complete. Photos were uploaded to show progress, especially during award nominations. Huge spending, questionable execution Khandwa district reported 1,29,041 water structures under the campaign, claiming Rs 409 crore spent. Over 16 types of projects were reported, including: Funds reportedly came from the 5th and 15th Finance Commission. Many works were unrelated to water conservation, including CC roads, drains, shops, and cultural programmes. Public participation mostly not real Officials claimed that public participation was part of every work. However, no donations were made by individuals or organisations. Work like “Bori Bandhan” was done mainly by the MP government Jan Abhiyan Parishad. Other projects were funded using CSR funds and MGNREGA. Inspection reveals minimal work In many cases, water harvesting systems were symbolic. For example, in Mandla village, a government school’s roof had only a pipe installed without a pit or parapet. Photos were taken to show completion even though real work was missing. After the scam was revealed, some Gram Panchayats hurriedly dug pits for dugwells. Villagers reported only Rs 14,000 out of Rs 25,000 being used per work. Fake photos and teacher suspensions AI-generated photos were uploaded online. Drainage pipelines of neighbouring houses were claimed as rainwater harvesting systems. Four teachers were suspended, and salary increments of others were stopped. Collector Rishav Gupta confirmed that action was taken as per rules. Proposals were sent to suspend or stop increments of several officials, including Jagdish Munever, Dinesh Chauhan, Sarita Solanki, and Bharti Yadav. Questions remain why action was taken against them if wrongdoing was unproven. Government investigations launched Following the Dainik Bhaskar exposé, the General Administration Department set up an investigation team under Senior IAS Dinesh Kumar Jain on 28 December. MNREGA Council also formed a separate team under Chief Engineer K.S. Mirdha on 29 December. On 29 December, CEO Dr. Nagarjun B. Gowda denied the scam during a press conference, calling the reports misleading. However, investigations were already underway. Officials respond Attempts to contact Engineer Rajesh Jharola and Accounts Officer Shailendra Batham were unsuccessful.