Rajasthan: Case against Congress leader in Rs 1,000-crore Jal Jeevan Mission ‘scam’

A case has been registered against former Rajasthan minister and Congress leader Mahesh Joshi and 22 others in connection with an alleged Rs 1,000-crore Jal Jeevan Mission scam.

In the FIR filed against Joshi and 22 other people, the Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) alleged that the former minister misused his official powers.

Joshi was the Minister of Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) in the previous Congress government led by Ashok Gehlot.

Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also arrested some people in a money laundering case related to the scam.

Speaking to India Today TV, ACB chief Ravi Prakash Meharda said Joshi could be summoned by the agency for questioning if the need arises.

“If necessary, yes (the former minister can be summoned for questioning),” Meharda told India Today TV.

“The very fact that we have registered a case indicates that there is some evidence… which will of course be confirmed once we fully investigate it,” Meharda added.

The central government’s Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) aims to provide safe and sufficient drinking water through tap connections in households and is being implemented in Rajasthan by the PHED.

The allegations against Joshi include misappropriation of funds with the connivance of PHED department officials and contractors in the implementation of the scheme in Rajasthan.

The ED also conducted multiple searches in the case, including at Joshi’s premises, and also arrested an alleged middleman and some contractors.

The others accused in the scam include Sushil Sharma, a financial advisor to Joshi, chief engineers RK Meena and Dinesh Goyal.