Jharkhand: ED raids IAS officer, persons linked to minister in Jal Jeevan Mission case
Ranchi (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate on Monday conducted searches in connection with a money laundering probe linked to alleged irregularities in the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme's implementation in poll-bound Jharkhand, official sources said.
More than 20 locations in Ranchi are being covered as part of the probe. Some locations in Chaibasa in West Singhbhum district were also raided, the sources said.
Premises linked to IAS officer Manish Ranjan, a personal staffer of drinking water and sanitation minister Mithilesh Kumar Thakur, his brother, some government officials, contractors and businessmen are being searched by the federal probe agency, they said.
Ranjan is the secretary of the Land, Road and Building department and has been questioned by the ED earlier in a separate money laundering case in which it arrested former minister Alamgir Alam.
Thakur charged that the raids are "politically motivated" as he refused to "buckle under pressure" of the saffron brigade to join the BJP.
Alleging that the ED was working on the directions of the central government, he demanded that the agency should come out with the list of recoveries it made from his residence, besides others associated with him.
"People have every right to know how much funds, illegal documents, gold, diamonds and other jewels were recovered from premises linked to me," Thakur said.
The minister asserted that he will prefer to be hanged to death or spend his life in jail, but will not join the BJP.
He also attacked the Centre for "unleashing central agencies" just before the assembly elections to harass leaders.
Elections to the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly are expected to be declared soon, with the term of the present Vidhan Sabha coming to an end on January 5.
Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta also dubbed the ED searches politically influenced.
A team from the CRPF provided cover to the ED search teams.
The money laundering case is linked to investigation into alleged irregularities in the Jal Jeevan Mission.
The central government's Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water through household tap connections.
A similar money laundering investigation into the Jal Jeevan Mission was initiated by the ED in Rajasthan last year when the Congress was in power in the state.
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By-election result not a mandate for the government: Basavaraja Bommai
Bengaluru: The results of the by-elections in three constituencies do not represent a mandate for the state government, said MP Basavaraja Bommai, adding that ruling party MLAs are dissatisfied with the lack of development in the state.
Speaking to the media at the BJP office on Tuesday, he stated that by-elections typically favor the ruling government. "When we were in power, we won 13 out of 17 by-elections. The Congress should not assume that this is a verdict in their favor," he remarked.
Bommai emphasized that these results are confined to the constituencies where the by-elections were held. He also accused the state government of poorly implementing its guarantee schemes without adequate financial preparation, claiming that the schemes are being halted due to financial strain.
He alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's government has borrowed over ₹1 lakh crore, leading to difficulties in financial management. Bommai pointed out that the state government is yet to release over ₹2,000 crore to local bodies, including village panchayats, as recommended by the 15th Finance Commission.
"Anganwadi workers and contract workers are not receiving their salaries, and contractors are refusing to take up work due to non-release of funds, even after tenders have been floated," he added.
Responding to questions about internal dissent within the BJP, Bommai denied any significant issues, stating, "There is no dissent in the BJP. Everyone is committed to the party. There may be differing opinions on some matters, but I am confident that everything will be resolved within a month." He also noted that a motivated BJP team is actively working for the party.
