The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted searches at more than half a dozen locations across Rajasthan as part of its money laundering investigation into the implementation of the Centre’s ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’, sources said.
The raids have been underway since morning under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The places searched included the premises of former Minister Mahesh Joshi, said the sources.
ED’s fresh move in the case comes almost two-and-a-half months after it raided 25 locations in Rajasthan including the premises of a senior IAS officer, some engineers, contractors and former state government officials suspected to have links in the case.
The agency had launched the raids in November last year and the places they searched were based in Jaipur and Dausa city of Rajasthan.
On September 1, the ED also carried out similar raids at several cities in Rajasthan.
The ED’s money laundering case is based on 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.
He had alleged that 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’ aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water through household tap connections and is being implemented by the Rajasthan Public Health Engineering Department (PHED).
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
