The Crossbill News Desk
An internal investigation by the Betul district administration has uncovered a large-scale embezzlement of Rs 13.21 crore under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) scheme in Bhimpur and Chicholi Janpad Panchayats.
The probe, initiated after financial discrepancies surfaced in early March, has revealed systematic irregularities and fraudulent payments facilitated through misuse of digital infrastructure by a block-level coordinator.
The Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural), a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at improving sanitation infrastructure in rural areas, is implemented at the grassroots level in Betul district—a predominantly tribal region in southern Madhya Pradesh—through the Janpad and Gram Panchayats under the supervision of the District Panchayat.
The investigation began on March 6, when suspicious payments made to Rajendra Singh Parihar, a block coordinator under the scheme, triggered an official probe.
While a formal inquiry was launched by the CEO of Bhimpur Janpad Panchayat, verbal instructions were also given to examine Parihar’s tenure in Chicholi.
Parihar, who served in Chicholi from November 2, 2021, to March 5, 2025, and in Bhimpur from January 31, 2023, to October 24, 2024, is accused of authorizing fraudulent payments totaling Rs 13,21,71,220, The Indian Express reported.
According to the inquiry, these payments were routed to a construction firm, an automobile company, and private bank accounts in Indore and Waraseoni, despite no corresponding work being carried out in Betul district.
Investigators found that the payments were processed without any technical or administrative approvals, and no supporting documentation existed in the Janpad Panchayat records. It is alleged that Parihar, with the assistance of two computer operators, misused the digital signature certificate (DSC) of the CEO for the Swachh Bharat scheme—possibly from locations outside official premises—to push through unauthorized financial transactions.
Betul Superintendent of Police Nishchal N Jhariya confirmed that an FIR was lodged on March 19 against 12 individuals under sections pertaining to cheating.
“Parihar is absconding in this case. We have not arrested anyone, and an SIT is looking through government records to make a watertight case. There is a possibility that more government officials will be made accused in the case and the amount (of money involved) may also increase,” Jhariya told The Indian Express.
District Collector Narendra Kumar Suryavanshi acknowledged that the scam exploited several administrative loopholes.
“The digital signature certificate was misused, and when the amount was siphoned off, we did not receive any OTP alerts,” he said.
The probe, initiated after financial discrepancies surfaced in early March, has revealed systematic irregularities and fraudulent payments facilitated through misuse of digital infrastructure by a block-level coordinator.
The Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural), a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at improving sanitation infrastructure in rural areas, is implemented at the grassroots level in Betul district—a predominantly tribal region in southern Madhya Pradesh—through the Janpad and Gram Panchayats under the supervision of the District Panchayat.
The investigation began on March 6, when suspicious payments made to Rajendra Singh Parihar, a block coordinator under the scheme, triggered an official probe.
While a formal inquiry was launched by the CEO of Bhimpur Janpad Panchayat, verbal instructions were also given to examine Parihar’s tenure in Chicholi.
Parihar, who served in Chicholi from November 2, 2021, to March 5, 2025, and in Bhimpur from January 31, 2023, to October 24, 2024, is accused of authorizing fraudulent payments totaling Rs 13,21,71,220, The Indian Express reported.
According to the inquiry, these payments were routed to a construction firm, an automobile company, and private bank accounts in Indore and Waraseoni, despite no corresponding work being carried out in Betul district.
Investigators found that the payments were processed without any technical or administrative approvals, and no supporting documentation existed in the Janpad Panchayat records. It is alleged that Parihar, with the assistance of two computer operators, misused the digital signature certificate (DSC) of the CEO for the Swachh Bharat scheme—possibly from locations outside official premises—to push through unauthorized financial transactions.
Betul Superintendent of Police Nishchal N Jhariya confirmed that an FIR was lodged on March 19 against 12 individuals under sections pertaining to cheating.
“Parihar is absconding in this case. We have not arrested anyone, and an SIT is looking through government records to make a watertight case. There is a possibility that more government officials will be made accused in the case and the amount (of money involved) may also increase,” Jhariya told The Indian Express.
District Collector Narendra Kumar Suryavanshi acknowledged that the scam exploited several administrative loopholes.
“The digital signature certificate was misused, and when the amount was siphoned off, we did not receive any OTP alerts,” he said.
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