Udaipur/Jaipur: A new set of allegations has surfaced in the ongoing expose linked to Rajasthan’s Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) projects, claiming serious irregularities in procurement rates, manipulated price variations, and questionable payments in works connected to the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED). The latest report, labelled as Part-4 of the expose series, alleges that contractor M/s Jagdish Prasad Agarwal, in alleged collusion with departmental officials, benefited from inflated pricing structures that caused heavy losses to the public exchequer.
According to the report, materials used in drinking water pipeline projects were allegedly billed at rates significantly higher than prevailing market prices or sanctioned schedule rates. Investigators and whistleblowers claim that several items showed unusual price variation patterns, where approved costs were revised upward without adequate justification, while execution quality on the ground remained doubtful.
The allegations suggest that PHED engineers and approving authorities may have passed revised estimates and enhanced bills despite insufficient scrutiny. In some instances, rates were allegedly changed after tenders or during execution, enabling higher payouts to selected contractors. Critics say such practices, if proven, indicate systematic manipulation rather than isolated clerical errors.
The expose further claims that while project costs escalated, progress in several areas lagged behind expected timelines. Residents in some affected zones reportedly continued to face delays in pipeline connectivity and water supply, raising concerns that funds sanctioned under a flagship rural water mission were not translating into actual benefits.
This controversy comes amid wider scrutiny of Jal Jeevan Mission execution in Rajasthan. Earlier, the Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested several PHED officials in connection with alleged irregularities in JJM contracts, tender processes, and forged certifications, indicating a broader pattern of suspected corruption in water infrastructure works.
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The latest allegations have intensified demands for an independent audit of all revised estimates, price escalation approvals, and contractor payments linked to the project. Experts say authorities should compare billed rates with market benchmarks, verify quantities physically executed, and fix accountability on officers who cleared suspicious cost variations.
With crores of rupees allocated for rural drinking water supply, citizens and activists are now demanding that every JJM project be reviewed to ensure public funds were used for real infrastructure rather than inflated paperwork and contractor favoritism.
