An inner investigation by the Betul district administration in Madhya Pradesh has revealed embezzlement and monetary irregularities to the tune of Rs 13.21 crore within the implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) scheme in Bhimpur and Chicholi Janpad Panchayats.
Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural), a centrally sponsored scheme, is run on the district degree in Betul, a tribal dominated district in southern Madhya Pradesh, by the District Panchayat and applied via Janpad and Gram Panchayats. Actions underneath the scheme embrace the development of bathrooms, rubbish carts, soak pits, composting items, and different waste administration infrastructure.
Funds are processed through the Public Monetary Administration System (PFMS), with funds transferred to Gram Panchayats, implementation businesses, or beneficiaries after technical and administrative approval.
On March 6, discrepancies had been present in funds made to Rajendra Singh Parihar, a block coordinator of the scheme, prompting the Collector and the CEO of the District Panchayat to order an investigation. The CEO of Bhimpur Janpad Panchayat performed a proper inquiry, whereas verbal instructions got to the CEO of Chicholi Janpad Panchayat to look into comparable points throughout Parihar’s posting there.
In accordance with investigators, throughout his tenure in Chicholi (November 2, 2021 to March 5, 2025) and Bhimpur (January 31, 2023 to October 24, 2024), Parihar allegedly facilitated unauthorised funds amounting to Rs 13,21,71,220.
A scrutiny of financial institution transfers revealed that the funds had been made to a development agency, an auto agency and financial institution accounts based mostly in Indore and Waraseoni, in keeping with the investigation.
The probe additionally confirmed that no work associated to those funds was carried out in Betul district, no technical or administrative approvals had been issued, and no associated paperwork had been maintained within the workplace.
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The district administration has alleged that Parihar employed using two pc operators to misuse the “digital signature certificates” of the CEO for the Swachh Bharat Mission scheme “with out the permission or data of the CEO, presumably from a location outdoors the Janpad Panchayat workplaces, to facilitate unauthorised and fraudulent monetary transactions”.
Betul Superintendent of Police Nishchal N Jhariya informed The Indian Categorical that Parihar is absconding and that an FIR was registered on March 19 in opposition to 12 individuals underneath sections associated to dishonest.
“Parihar is absconding on this case. We’ve got not arrested anybody, and an SIT is wanting via authorities information to make a watertight case. There’s a risk that extra authorities officers will likely be made accused within the case and the quantity (of cash concerned) might also improve,” the SP stated.
Betul Collector Narendra Kumar Suryavanshi acknowledged that the accused had taken benefit of some loopholes. “The digital signature certificates was misused, and when the quantity was siphoned off, we didn’t obtain any OTP alerts,” Suryavanshi informed The Indian Categorical.
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Suryavanshi stated the federal government has begun month-to-month evaluations of all growth works carried out within the district. “We’ve got already initiated disciplinary motion in opposition to the accused. His property has been recognized, and we are going to recuperate the stolen quantity. Moreover, we’re plugging the loopholes. All digital signatures will likely be secured in pendrives by officers, and a monitoring group is reviewing all growth work to make sure this doesn’t occur once more,” he stated.