Bharatmala Initiative: ACB and EOW Conduct Raids in Chhattisgarh

Raipur, April 25 (NationPress) The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Chhattisgarh executed widespread raids throughout the state on Friday, targeting discrepancies linked to the Bharatmala Project.

Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Arun Sao, asserted, “The irregularities tied to the Bharatmala Project transpired during the prior Congress government. Our commitment to fighting corruption has prompted decisive actions, leading ACB and EOW to operate at multiple official sites.”

The raids concentrated on the homes and offices of officials, such as Sub-Divisional Magistrates, Tehsildars, Patwaris, and Revenue Inspectors.

ACB and EOW teams commenced searches in Raipur, Naya Raipur, Abhanpur, and Durg-Bhilai, uncovering evidence of misconduct.

Over 20 locations associated with the Revenue Department were examined, exposing a web of corruption and deceitful practices.

On March 5, the state government suspended Shashikant Kurre, a deputy collector from Korba, for allegedly manipulating land accounts and subdividing them into plots, leading to inflated compensation amounts and direct losses for the state.

Earlier, Dr. Charandas Mahant, Leader of the Opposition, had sent a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) regarding a compensation scam within the Bharatmala Project. The PMO acknowledged the complaint, and Dr. Mahant confirmed receiving a response, hoping for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry. The investigation uncovered a fraudulent scheme worth Rs 43 crore in the land acquisition process.

By fragmenting land parcels and falsifying records, payments amounting to Rs 78 crore were misrepresented to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

A syndicate consisting of SDMs, Patwaris, and land mafias orchestrated this deception with backdated documentation. Among the accused are five officials, including Nirbhay Kumar Sahu, implicated in embezzling over Rs 43.18 crore. In Nayakbandha and Urla villages of Abhanpur, land mafias, in collaboration with revenue officials, subdivided land into 159 plots, inflating its value from Rs 29.5 crore to Rs 78 crore. Compensation for a 9.38-kilometre stretch in the Abhanpur region was initially pegged at Rs 324 crore, with Rs 246 crore disbursed and Rs 78 crore still withheld.

During the winter session of the state Assembly, Dr. Mahant highlighted concerns over the Bharatmala Project, urging a CBI inquiry. Revenue Minister Tank Ram Verma acknowledged the irregularities, indicating that an investigation by the Raipur Collector, initiated in August 2022, confirmed fraudulent practices. The findings implicated officials in fabricating ownership transfers and inflating compensation claims.

As a result, the government suspended several officials, including Naib Tehsildar Gobara Navapara Lakheshwa Prasad Kiran and Patwaris Jitendra Prasad Sahu, Dinesh Patel, and Lekhram Devangan.

On April 3, Jyotsna Charandas Mahant, a Lok Sabha member from Korba, raised a similar issue in the Lok Sabha and called for a CBI probe in the case.

Despite these revelations, the government did not agree to the Opposition’s demand for a CBI probe, leading Congress legislators to walk out in protest.

This issue remains a critical topic of debate, emphasizing the necessity for transparency and accountability in public administration.

The Bharatmala Pariyojna (India’s garland project) is an initiative by the Government of India aiming to interconnect 550 District Headquarters (up from the current 300) through at least 4-lane highways by increasing the number of corridors to 50 (from the current six) and shifting 80 percent of freight traffic (currently 40 percent) to National Highways by linking 24 logistics parks, 66 inter-corridors (IC) totaling 8,000 km, and 116 feeder routes totaling 7,500 km.