Former Rajasthan Minister Mahesh Joshi And 22 Others Face Allegations In ₹1000-Crore Jal Jeevan Mission Scam

The Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has filed a significant case against former Congress leader and Rajasthan minister Mahesh Joshi, alongside 22 other individuals, in connection with an alleged ₹1000-crore scam tied to the central government’s Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). The ACB's FIR asserts that Joshi, who held the post of Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) minister under Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's previous Congress administration, abused his position of power to misappropriate government funds. This misconduct reportedly involved collusion with PHED officials and contractors tasked with implementing the Jal Jeevan Mission in Rajasthan, a program designed to provide households with clean drinking water through direct tap connections.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also been involved in investigating the financial irregularities of the case, conducting several searches and arrests, including that of a suspected middleman and contractors allegedly linked to the embezzlement of funds in the project. The ED’s ongoing probe is part of a larger money laundering investigation related to the Jal Jeevan Mission in Rajasthan.

Speaking on the matter, ACB chief Ravi Prakash Meharda told India Today TV that Joshi could be summoned for questioning if the investigation deems it necessary. Meharda underscored that filing a case suggests preliminary evidence of mismanagement and misconduct, which will be thoroughly examined in the subsequent investigation.

The accusations against Joshi extend to high-ranking officials within the PHED, including his financial advisor Sushil Sharma and Chief Engineers R.K. Meena and Dinesh Goyal. Investigators believe that the misuse of funds was systemic, involving these senior officials who allegedly helped redirect government resources meant for essential water infrastructure to personal and illicit gains.

The Jal Jeevan Mission, funded by the central government, aims to provide safe drinking water directly to households, a necessity in many regions of Rajasthan facing water scarcity. However, the allegations of misappropriated funds cast a shadow on the mission’s execution in the state, prompting authorities to scrutinize the project’s financial dealings. With investigations intensifying, the case could bring to light broader issues of accountability and transparency within Rajasthan’s public health and water infrastructure sectors.