AHMEDABAD: An assistant project manager has flagged a shocking MNREGA scam worth Rs 7.3 crore across villages in Gujarat's Bharuch district, Amod, Jambusar, and Hansot Taluka.
Acting on the complaint, Bharuch police have now summoned Congress leader Hira Jotva from Gir Somnath for questioning. Sources indicate that police may move toward arresting him following the interrogation.
The Rs 7.30 crore fraud, spanning 430 development works across 56 villages in Amod, Jambusar, and Hansot talukas, was first flagged on May 30 by a government official from the Gram Vikas Agency, who filed a formal complaint at Bharuch’s A Division Police Station.
The investigation zeroed in on two Veraval-based firms — Shri Jalaram Enterprise and Muralidhar Enterprise — contracted for supplying material under MNREGA projects. These agencies allegedly manipulated records, provided substandard material, and bypassed mandatory manual labour by using machines, thereby violating the core principles of the rural employment scheme and causing massive losses to the state exchequer.
Police identified Piyush Nukani, owner of Shri Jalaram Enterprise, and Jodhabhai Sabhad, owner of Muralidhar Enterprise, as key players in the racket.
Crucially, both are reported to have close ties to senior Congress leader Hira Jotwani — a link that has now drawn political attention to the case.
Following the FIR, Bharuch SP formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the scandal. The SIT, after recording statements from workers and agency staff, summoned Hira Jotva to Bharuch for questioning regarding his association with the two contractors.
Officials are probing whether Jotva played any role in facilitating or shielding the scam. However, at the time of writing, police have not officially declared whether Hira Jotva has been officially arrested or detained.
Bharuch Congress Leader Sandeep Mangrola said, "Hira Jotva was detained from Gir Somanth, and police are bringing him here at Bharuch for questioning."
Hira Jotva is a prominent face in Gujarat Congress politics. He contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Junagadh and had earlier fought the 2022 Assembly polls from Keshod. He also served as the General Secretary of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) from 2019 to 2023 and is currently its Vice President.
As questioning continues, the police are examining financial trails and political connections to determine the full scale and backing behind the scam. Legal proceedings are underway, and more detentions could follow based on emerging evidence.