Bhopal: The Mohanpura dam which would be inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on Saturday is in eye of the storm after serious corruption charges in its construction. Activists allege massive corruption in this Rs 3866 crore project. Although Rajgarh Collector Tarun Pithode has in a written communiqué to the principal secretary of the water resource department categorically pointed out to the various instances of corruption in Mohanpura project but so far authorities have not taken any action on the matter.
Pithode had informed principal secretary of the water resource department Pankaj Agarwal through a letter in January 2017 that executive engineer of the department had wrongly included land that is outside the Full Tank Level (FTL). The Collector arrived at this conclusion after personally verifying the said spot. Collector said that the inclusion of ineligible land has resulted in the wrongful award of compensation to the tune of Rs 30 crore to the illegible people.
RTI activist Ajay Dubey, while addressing media demanded from PM Modi that he should inaugurate the dam for people’s welfare but he should also act against those who are involved in corruption in building this dam. “How can authorities ignore a letter from collector of the district specifically mentioning that irregularities to the tune of Rs 30 crore were found,” asked Dubey urging PM to intervene into the matter.
He claimed that the cost of irregularities done in the project could run into several hundred crore. Rajgarh is also home town of ACS Radheyshyam Julania. Though, taking cognisance of Dubey’s complaint against senior IAS official Julania the enforcement directorate has responded that it is investigating against the said individuals under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act and has asked him to provide documents related to the matter. Meanwhile, Dubey has shot a letter to the PM as well.
Irregularities in compensation
RTI activist Dubey alleged that government did not provide information on compensation distributed in the project and he was provided details only of one village Gopalpura. The irregularities in distribution of compensation could be gauged by the fact that details of the people were removed from Samagra portal. There are several cases were compensation was given without complete documents. Showing papers to media persons, Dubey said that there is a case where age difference between mother and son is 14 years. Is it a case of child marriage, he quipped. Other papers showed manipulations in ration cards and deletion of records from Samagra portal indicating big scam, said Dubey.
