Decoding Politics: The Rajasthan ‘water scam’ in the middle of a big BJP-Congress row

The ongoing investigation originated from an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) FIR registered in August. Based on it, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) began its probe and conducted a series of raids across 25 locations, including the properties and offices of a top bureaucrat, earlier this month.

What the allegations are

A former five-time Rajasthan MLA and two-time Lok Sabha MP, Kirodi Lal Meena accused, among others, state Cabinet minister Mahesh Joshi, who holds the groundwater portfolio, and Additional Chief Secretary Subodh Agarwal of being involved in the Rs 20,000 crore scam.

The MP alleged that tenders worth Rs 900 crore were issued to two firms with fake experience certificates in 48 projects of the Jal Jeevan Mission. The scam caused an unnecessary delay in the completion of the projects, he added.

What ED has found

After the ACB FIR was registered, the ED began looking into the proprietors of two tubewell companies and others allegedly involved in bribing public servants to “obtain illegal protection, obtaining tenders, getting bills sanctioned and covering up irregularities in respect of work executed by them in respect of various tenders received by them from PHED department”.

In September, the central agency conducted search operations at various locations in Jaipur, Alwar, Neemrana, Behror and Shahpura and seized unaccounted Rs 2.32 crore cash, gold worth Rs 64 lakh, and various documents, including digital evidence, hard discs, and mobiles. During subsequent search operations, 9.6 kg of gold worth Rs 5.83 crore and 6.4 kg of silver worth Rs 3.9 lakh were seized.

The ED’s searches on November 3 took place at properties linked to ACS Agarwal who holds the charge of the PHED and Ground Water Department, Water Resources Department, and State Water Resources Planning Department. Several others connected to the case are also being investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

How it is playing out politically

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has accused the central agencies of targeting the Opposition at the behest of the BJP-led government. “We had been waiting for ED, CBI and Income Tax for days. State elections are here, so it is obvious. The manner in which they work under pressure from the top is not correct… Action should be taken against those who are corrupt,” Gehlot said after the searches conducted in September.

Following the November raids, Gehlot questioned the credibility of the ED. “The way ED is behaving across the whole country, I believe it’s not in their own interest… Now ED is only coming for political parties… Their credibility is reducing, we don’t want that,” he said.

With the BJP finding a line of attack, the Congress dropped Joshi, the sitting Hawa Mahal MLA, from the election line-up. A Gehlot confidant, Joshi was also among the leaders who had led the boycott of a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting last year, angering the party’s high command.

At his rallies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has targeted the Congress government over the alleged scam. While addressing a public meeting in Barmer on November 15, Modi said the Centre had made arrangements to provide water through pipes to almost 50 lakh houses in Rajasthan.

“But I feel the pain that the Congress government has looted this scheme too. I send the money for the Jal Jeevan Mission from Delhi but these Congress people, because of habit, get commission even in that,” Modi said, adding he had been told in many villages of Barmer and Jaisalmer that payments had been made despite no work being done.