Edited by Deepali Verma
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) was involved in conducting searches in close to a dozen locations across Rajasthan as part of its money laundering investigation into the implementation of the Centre’s ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ on January 16, informed the sources.
The raids have been underway right from the morning of January 16 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The places under the search also covered the premises of former Minister Mahesh Joshi, as per the sources.
ED’s fresh move in the case comes almost after three months of it raiding 25 locations in Rajasthan which involved the premises of a senior IAS officer, some engineers, contractors and former state government officials suspected to have associations in the case.
The agency started the raids in November last year and the searches were conducted in Jaipur and Dausa city of Rajasthan. On September 1, the ED was engaged in similar raids at several cities in Rajasthan.
The ED’s money laundering finds its basis in a First Information Report earlier registered by Rajasthan Police. BJP Rajya Sabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena had in June alleged a scam of Rs 20,000 crore in the implementation of the Central government’s ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ in Rajasthan. His allegations read that the tenders worth Rs 900 crore were issued to two firms based on fake experience certificates in 48 projects of the scheme.
The ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ provides safe and adequate drinking water via household tap connections and is currently implemented by the Rajasthan Public Health Engineering Department (PHED).
