The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has filed a chargesheet against eight former government officials, including a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a district panchayat, in connection with an alleged ₹1.69 crore MGNREGA procurement scam dating back nearly 18 years in Chhattisgarh.

The nearly 6,000-page chargesheet was submitted before the Special Court under the Prevention of Corruption Act in Kanker after the EOW concluded its investigation into alleged financial irregularities committed during the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in 2006-07 and 2007-08.

According to the investigation, the alleged scam involved irregular procurement of materials worth ₹1,69,14,247 for eight gram panchayats. The probe found that procurement norms were allegedly bypassed, resulting in financial losses to the government.

District-Level Procurement Under Scanner

Investigators alleged that then District Panchayat CEO K.P. Devangan authorised centralized procurement of materials at the district level despite rules assigning purchasing powers to the respective Janpad Panchayats and Gram Panchayats.

The EOW stated that various items, including flex boards, muster roll verification sheets, employment guarantee registers, file covers, labour information records and operational guidelines related to the employment scheme, were purchased without following prescribed procurement procedures.

Officials claimed the purchases were made in violation of government rules governing tendering and decentralized procurement under the rural employment programme.

Eight Former Officials Named

Apart from former District Panchayat CEO K.P. Devangan, the chargesheet names seven former Janpad Panchayat CEOs as accused. They include Radhakant Kar (Kanker), Govardhan Gajballa (Narharpur), Pardeshi Ram Markam (Charama), Bharat Ram Netam (Antagarh), Ramkishun Dhruv (Koylibeda), G.R. Thakur (Bhanupratappur) and Sanwaldas Baghel (Durgkondal).

The EOW alleged that the accused acted in collusion to bypass tender procedures and procurement regulations while misusing their official positions for unauthorized expenditure of government funds.

Officials said documentary evidence collected during the investigation supported allegations of procedural violations and financial irregularities.

Charges Under IPC and Anti-Corruption Law

The accused have been booked under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, including Sections 13(1)(C), 13(1)(D) and 13(2).

The prosecution will now proceed before the Special Court in Kanker, which will examine the evidence and determine the next stage of judicial proceedings.

Previous Cases Against Main Accused

The EOW also revealed that former District Panchayat CEO K.P. Devangan is already facing two separate corruption-related cases.

In one case registered in 2009, he has been accused of manipulating the recruitment process through forged documents to benefit ineligible candidates. Another case registered in 2010 alleges violations of procurement rules and misuse of official authority involving alleged irregularities exceeding ₹8.44 crore.

According to the agency, chargesheets in both of those cases have already been filed before the competent court.

The latest prosecution marks a significant development in one of Chhattisgarh's oldest alleged MGNREGA corruption cases. Authorities maintain that the investigation was based on documentary evidence and procedural records collected during the probe, while the guilt or innocence of the accused will ultimately be decided during trial.