Surat: Bharuch Superintendent of Police Mayur Chavda has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by DySP Dr. Anil Sisara to probe a ₹7.3 crore MNREGA scam uncovered in the district.

The scam surfaced after Pratik Chaudhary of the Bharuch District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) lodged an FIR at the Bharuch A Division police station against two Veraval-based firms and government officials. The accused have been booked for cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.

Named in the FIR are Piyush Nukani of Murlidhar Enterprise and Jodha Sabhad of Jalaram Enterprise, along with officials from Jambusar, Amod, and Hansot talukas. They allegedly submitted inflated bills for work under the MNREGA scheme in 56 villages, using substandard materials or skipping them altogether.

Initial checks by the District Development Officer (DDO) in 11 projects confirmed irregularities, which were later found across all 56 villages. The firms, meant to only supply materials, colluded with officials to divert funds meant for rural employment, executing projects without hiring workers as required.

The scam had been ongoing since January 2023. After the FIR was filed on May 30, the SIT was constituted on June 4. So far, statements from 30 individuals have been recorded, and field visits to the affected villages are planned as part of the ongoing investigation. DeshGujarat