Dewas: A big rigging has come to light in the Balaram pond construction scheme in Dewas district. There was a scam of Rs 2.92 crore on paper stating 361 ponds. After the complaint, the investigation was exposed by the Economic Offenses Cell (EOW). Locks found missing in physical verification. A case has been registered against the then Deputy Director of Agriculture Department, Land Conservation Officer, Land Conservation Survey Officer and other officers. EoW Ujjain SP Dilip Soni said that the state government had started the Balram Talab Yojana in the year 2010 for irrigation and storage of rain water for small and marginal farmers. Under the scheme, construction of 2037 ponds was approved between 2011 and 2015 in Dewas district.
The grant amount ranging from Rs. 80 thousand to Rs. One lakh was proposed for each pond. The construction work and supervision of the ponds was entrusted to the officials of Agriculture Department and Land Conservation Department. Later there were complaints of disturbances during construction of these ponds. The then Dewas Collector was ordered by the then Under Secretary General Administration Department to investigate the irregularities.
If verified, rigged
The Dewas Collector had got physical verification of 2,037 ponds constructed in other development blocks including Tonkkhurd, Sonkach and Dewas under the Balram scheme. Of these, 361 ponds were not found. In lieu of this, a grant of Rs. 2.92 crore was paid to the beneficiaries. A complaint was made to the Ujjain EOW.
Case registered on
EOW on Tuesday, the then Deputy Director of Agriculture, Dewas Vijay Agarwal, the then Assistant Land Conservation Officer Trilok Chandra Chavania, the then Land Conservation Survey Officer Amrit Singh Yadav, the then Agriculture Extension Officer Sahadev Gujre, the then Land Conservation Officer Kailash Chauhan, the then Land Conservation Survey Officer Bablu A case has been registered under sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, 120B of IPC against Shakya, Abid Ali, Durgesh Uike, erstwhile Agriculture Extension Officer Tej Singh Thakur and related beneficiaries of Vikas Block Tokkhurd, Dewas and Sonkutch.
