Questions for Minister Mukesh Agnihotri
Munish Sood
Mandi
Serious allegations of corruption have emerged from the Nerwa Jal Shakti Division in Chopal subdivision of Shimla district, raising uncomfortable questions for the state government and Jal Shakti Minister Mukesh Agnihotri.
A formal complaint submitted to the Secretary of the Jal Shakti Department and the Vigilance authorities alleges large-scale irregularities in the award of tenders between 2021 and 2023. The complaint has also sought intervention from the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, demanding a high-level, time-bound investigation.
100 Tenders to a Single Family?
The complainant, Nerwa resident Sandeep Diwan, has alleged that a former Executive Engineer of the division awarded nearly 100 tenders to a woman contractor and her son during his tenure. According to the complaint, these tenders were linked to projects under the Centre-sponsored Jal Jeevan Mission.
The division reportedly handled projects worth around ₹160 crore, including approximately ₹130 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission and an additional ₹30 crore released by the state government.
Diwan claims to have collected copies of award letters and related documents through the Right to Information (RTI) Act over a period of four years. He has maintained that if the allegations are proven false, he is prepared to face legal consequences.
Allegations of Fake Billing, No Public Notice
The complaint alleges that several tenders were not properly advertised. It is claimed that tender notices were neither published in newspapers nor uploaded on the department’s official website. Further, it is alleged that copies were not displayed on the notice board of the Nerwa division office.
More serious are the allegations that certain works either remained incomplete or were not executed on the ground, yet bills were allegedly prepared and payments cleared within 10 to 20 days of allotment. The complaint also claims that larger works were split into smaller packages to bypass financial scrutiny and transparency norms.
There are additional allegations of irregularities in procurement processes, including pipe supply and loading-unloading components of the projects.
Officer Denies Charges
The officer concerned has denied all allegations, stating that similar complaints were made in the past and were investigated. He has expressed willingness to face any inquiry and indicated that legal action may be initiated against the complainant.
Efforts to obtain a detailed response from the department are ongoing. The Secretary of the Jal Shakti Department has yet to issue a formal statement.
Questions for the Minister
With allegations involving projects worth crores under a flagship central scheme, the spotlight now shifts to the political leadership of the department. As the Jal Shakti Minister in the state government, Mukesh Agnihotri faces critical questions:
• Were internal audits conducted for the Nerwa division between 2021 and 2023?
• Was there any red flag regarding repeated award of tenders to the same contractor family?
• What monitoring mechanisms were in place to ensure transparency under the Jal Jeevan Mission?
• Will the government order a vigilance or independent technical audit?
The complainant has indicated that he will escalate the matter to the Union Jal Shakti Minister if necessary.
Until an official inquiry is announced, the allegations remain unverified. However, given the scale of funds involved and the seriousness of the charges, the issue is likely to intensify political debate over transparency and accountability within the Jal Shakti Department in Himachal Pradesh.
