EOW Files 6,000-Page Chargesheet Against Eight Former Panchayat Officials in 18-Year-Old MGNREGA Procurement Scam
Raipur:
The Chhattisgarh Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has filed a 6,000-page chargesheet against eight former panchayat officials, including a dismissed former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kanker Zila Panchayat, in connection with an alleged ₹1.69 crore financial irregularity in the procurement of materials under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) during 2006-07 and 2007-08.
The chargesheet was submitted on July 27 before the Special Court under the Prevention of Corruption Act in Kanker in Crime No. 31/2008. The accused have been booked under Sections 120B, 409 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
According to the EOW investigation, materials worth ₹1.69 crore were procured in violation of prescribed tendering and purchase procedures. Investigators alleged that procurement was centralised at the district level despite government rules authorising Janpad Panchayats and Gram Panchayats to independently purchase materials under the rural employment scheme.
The probe found irregularities in the purchase of flex boards, muster roll verification registers, employment guarantee manuals, employment registers, file covers and labour information records, among other items. Evidence indicated violations of the Chhattisgarh Panchayat (Material and Store Purchase) Rules, Chhattisgarh Store Purchase Rules and prescribed procurement procedures through Chhattisgarh Samvad.
The agency alleged that the then district and Janpad Panchayat CEOs acted in collusion, abused their official positions, and caused financial loss to the government by misappropriating and irregularly spending public funds amounting to ₹1,69,14,247.
The accused named in the chargesheet are:
- K.P. Devangan, dismissed former CEO, Kanker Zila Panchayat
- Radhakant Kar, former CEO, Janpad Panchayat Kanker
- Govardhan Gajballe, former CEO, Janpad Panchayat Narharpur
- Pardeshi Ram Markam, former CEO, Janpad Panchayat Charama
- Bharat Ram Netam, former CEO, Janpad Panchayat Antagarh
- Ramkishun Dhruv, former CEO, Janpad Panchayat Koylibeda
- G.R. Thakur, former CEO, Janpad Panchayat Bhanupratappur
- Sanwaldas Baghel, former CEO, Janpad Panchayat Durgkondal
The EOW quantified the alleged irregularities at ₹39.90 lakh in Kanker Zila Panchayat and ₹1.29 crore across seven Janpad Panchayats, taking the total alleged financial loss to ₹1.69 crore.
The agency also stated that dismissed former CEO K.P. Devangan is already facing two other corruption-related cases. One involves alleged irregularities in recruitment using forged documents, while the other pertains to the alleged misuse of official position and irregularities involving public funds worth ₹8.44 crore. Chargesheets have already been filed in both cases.
