Jal Jeevan Mission probe in Madhya Pradesh's Mauganj finds paid works, dry taps

An Economic Offences Wing investigation into Jal Jeevan Mission works in four villages of Madhya Pradesh's Mauganj district has found that pipelines were laid and payments released, but the infrastructure needed to deliver water to households was missing or unfinished.

According to officials, the contractor and three Public Health Engineering department officials allegedly colluded to execute substandard work and secure payments. The case is being investigated under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The contractor, Shivendra Kumar Tiwari, and then PHE officials A.P. Tiwari, Sanjay Pandey and J.P. Dwivedi have been named as accused.

The probe followed a complaint and physical verification in Judmania Raghunath, Khatkhari, Karah alias Bairagarh and Shivrajpur. The projects were awarded in 2021 under the Har Ghar Nal Jal programme, with a nine-month completion deadline. The department declined to comment on the findings, saying only that it had "no issues with the probe".

At Judmania Raghunath, the project covered 7,600 metres of HDPE pipeline, a sump, a motor and 440 household tap connections. The contractor and the concerned sub-engineer allegedly told investigators that the pipeline had been laid, a motor pump installed, electrical work completed and 400 connections provided. Physical verification found the pipeline in place but the sump still under construction, and the household connections incomplete. The FIR says water supplied through the main pipeline reached only the initial five to 10 distribution lines, leaving it unable to reach all houses.

At Khatkhari, a 75-KL overhead tank with 15-metre staging was built during J.P. Dwivedi's tenure as executive engineer. Investigators alleged the structure was of poor quality and collapsed on March 27, 2026, during testing when it was being filled. The FIR says the collapse "prima facie" demonstrated poor construction quality. The project also included a sump, 4,400 metres of pipeline, a motor pump, electrical work and 315 household connections. While the contractor claimed 290 domestic connections had been provided, the EOW found distribution pipelines had been brought out in front of villagers' houses without the required fittings. The FIR says no fitting of any kind or concrete circular stand post had been constructed.

At Karah, the project allegedly involved a 250-KL overhead tank, sump, 11,500 metres of pipeline, five submersible motors and 740 domestic tap connections. The contractor told investigators that 11,500 metres of pipeline had been laid, four submersible motors installed and 740 household connections provided. The EOW found pipeline work completed in only about half the area, and water supply, which had reportedly continued for a few days after construction began, had "at present completely stopped". Physical verification also found only one submersible motor at the site against the claimed four. Household connections were not found, with the FIR stating that tap fitting for domestic connections had not been carried out.

At Shivrajpur, the project provided for a 125-KL overhead tank, sump, 8,000 metres of pipeline, two motors, electrical work and 700 household connections. The contractor claimed the pipeline had been laid, one motor installed, electrical work completed, the sump constructed and 600 domestic connections provided. The EOW found pipeline laying completed only in part of the Gram Panchayat, with supply having stopped after a few days. The tank, sump and boundary wall were found constructed, but household connections were incomplete, with only distribution pipelines brought out in front of houses.

Villagers told investigators during the physical verification that some water had reached pipelines near the water tank in the initial days of construction, but supply had subsequently stopped and remained shut for several years. The agency says that although pipeline-laying work was carried out across large parts of the villages, water supply has never taken place in the area.