Gujarat Congress district vice-president Hira Jotva has been detained by Bharuch police in connection with an alleged Rs 7.30 crore scam linked to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). He was taken into custody early Thursday morning from Supasi village in Gir Somnath district, with his detention formally recorded at Prabhas Patan police station.
The case revolves around road construction activities across 56 villages in Amod, Jambusar and Hansot talukas, where two private agencies&mdash;Jalaram Enterprise and Muralidhar Enterprise&mdash;were awarded contracts to supply materials for projects under the MGNREGA scheme. Investigations allege that from January 20, 2023, to May 30, 2025, the firms provided substandard or insufficient materials and submitted inflated work records.
Instead of employing rural workers as stipulated by the Central government programme, machinery was reportedly used to carry out the work, violating MGNREGA guidelines and resulting in a major financial loss to the state.&nbsp;
A preliminary probe implicated not only the two contractors&mdash;Piyush Nukani and Jodha Sabhad&mdash;but also several government officials, department staff and outsourced employees.
Following the registration of a police complaint, Bharuch Superintendent of Police Mayur Chavda ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter. The SIT is currently interrogating Jotva based on statements provided by project workers and administrative staff, to establish whether he had any links to the owners of the two contracting firms.
Police officials confirmed that legal proceedings are ongoing, and that an arrest may be made subject to the evidence gathered during questioning.
This latest development comes after the arrest of two sons of Gujarat Minister Bachu Khabad in a similar MGNREGA-related scam in Dahod, suggesting wider misuse of the rural employment scheme across districts.
The MGNREGA programme, which is designed to offer guaranteed employment and improve rural livelihoods, has come under scrutiny as officials continue to examine potential collusion between contractors and officials in multiple villages where work was paid for but never executed.
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Gujarat Congress leader detained in Rs 7.3 crore MGNREGA scam across multiple villages.

Cong Leader Held in Over Rs 7 Cr MGNREGA Scam Probe

Gujarat Congress leader detained in Rs 7.3 crore MGNREGA scam across multiple villages.

June 27, 2025 | 01:36 IST