Cong alleges MGNREGA scam in Gujarat, seeks expulsion of BJP minister from state cabinet

New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) The Congress on Wednesday attacked the BJP over an alleged scam inked to rural jobs scheme MGNREGA in Gujarat, and demanded that minister Bachubhai Khabad be expelled from the state cabinet for "indulging" in graft.

There was no immediate reaction from the BJP or Khabad on the Congress' allegations.

The opposition party's attack came a day after Khabad's son, arrested by police in connection with a Rs 71 crore 'scam' inked to the jobs scheme, was granted regular bail with a set of conditions by a court in Dahod district.

Additional Sessions Judge Sandipsinh Dodiya ordered the release of accused Balvantsinh Khabad, the son of BJP minister Khabad, on regular bail on a surety bond of Rs 15,000.

Addressing a press conference here, Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil said that under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), labourers get work, but there is also a rule that if some materials are needed, one can procure materials on a small scale.

"Here, that rule was disregarded, and a large amount of material was ordered. There is a provision in MGNREGA for procuring such materials but it requires one to place an advertisement, and the supplier offering the lowest price will provide the materials. But in this case, the contract for supplying tender materials was given directly to the minister's son," he alleged.

"We demand that Bachubhai Khabad be expelled from the cabinet...When materials worth lakhs and crores of rupees are supplied, GST must be paid on them, but when we checked on the website, even GST had not been paid. The GST number is registered under the name of Raj Construction by Bachubhai Khabad’s son," he said.

Gohil called for an investigation against Khabad by the ED, CBI, and IT department.

He also called for investigating whether Raj Construction Company paid GST or not.

"In Gujarat, BJP leaders are filling their pockets through irregularities in MGNREGA and 'Nal Se Jal' schemes," he alleged.

Balvantsinh Khabad was arrested along with his brother Kiran after the Dahod police registered an FIR of cheating, forgery and breach of trust against some persons, including government employees, following the unearthing of a Rs 71 crore "scam" by the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA).

According to the police, Balvantsinh and Kiran Khabad are proprietors of agencies implicated in fraudulent MGNREGA projects carried out in Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur talukas of Dahod district. PTI ASK ASK KVK KVK