11 Government employees arrested in Rs 12 Cr corruption scandal in Navsari

Navsari : A significant corruption scandal, allegedly involving over ₹12 crore, has been uncovered in Navsari, Gujarat. Eleven government employees, both current and former, have been arrested for their involvement in presenting fake bills and embezzling public funds allocated for water supply schemes.

The scandal came to light following an investigation triggered by a formal complaint filed by Asha Patel, an executive engineer with the Valsad public works department. Patel alerted the Valsad public health office on August 25, 2023, leading to the case being handed over to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the CID in Gandhinagar.

The investigation revealed that officials from the Gujarat Water Supply & Sewerage Board (GWSSB) in Navsari district colluded with contractor agencies across 57 villages—25 in Chikhli, 20 in Gandevi, and 12 in Khergam—to defraud the state of ₹5.48 crore.

Jatin Patel of GWSSB, Navsari, was the first to be booked following an investigation led by CID crime branch DySP AA Pandya. Subsequently, the Navsari local crime branch (LCB) arrested retired executive engineer Dalpat Patel (59), Rakesh Patel (46), Jagdish Parmar (41), Narendra Shah (71), Tejal Shah (37), Jyotibhai Shah (64), Shilpa Raj (44), Kiran Patel (47), Mohammad Ahmed Nalwala (48), and Dharmesh Patel (42). The accused were produced before the court, which ordered an eight-day remand, lasting until July 25.

Anatomy of a Fraud

In 2023, ₹24 crore was allocated for water supply works in Navsari district. However, the Water and Sanitation Management Organization (WASMO) initially stalled the work on source wells and missing pipelines due to delays in grant approvals. When the grants were eventually approved, tenders worth ₹16.47 crore were sanctioned for 209 projects, despite non-compliance with rules and violations of administrative approvals in several instances.

Bills amounting to ₹19.33 crore were approved, ostensibly for payments related to 163 projects. However, investigations revealed that only 73 projects were actually implemented, with the remaining 90 existing only on paper. This discrepancy indicated a significant embezzlement of funds, as the approved bills far exceeded the work done on the ground.

The accused, who include both senior and junior officials, allegedly manipulated project approvals and payment processes to siphon off public funds. This systemic corruption has not only drained public resources but also deprived numerous villages of essential water supply infrastructure.

The ongoing investigation by the EOW and the local crime branch aims to uncover the full extent of the fraud and ensure accountability for the involved parties. This scandal has raised serious questions about the oversight and transparency in the administration of public funds, emphasizing the need for stricter monitoring and more robust anti-corruption measures in government projects.