Chhattisgarh, governed by the Congress party, is grappling with serious allegations of corruption surrounding its cow dung purchase scheme. Launched in 2020 with the noble intent of providing financial assistance to farmers, the scheme faces accusations of mismanagement and financial irregularities. The allegations have brought the CM Baghel government under scrutiny, raising concerns about transparency and accountability in governance. According to BJP MLAs Narayan Chandel and Saurabh Singh, the cow dung fraud or ‘gobar ghotala’ is even bigger than the fodder scam. They allege that the scam includes the misappropriation of ₹229 crore for purchase under Godhan Nyay Yojana.
The Allegations and Claims
During the last day of the Monsoon session of the state assembly, BJP MLAs raised serious concerns about the purchase and sale of cow dung. They claim that the state government was involved in embezzling around ₹229 crores. They allege that the remaining cow dung worth ₹229 crores suggests discrepancies in the government’s reported cow dung purchases and sales. The BJP, in opposition, has raised red flags on the transparency and legitimacy of the transactions under Congress. Their claims fuel suspicions of financial irregularities by the Chhattisgarh Government.
The Opposition BJP’s Accusations
कांग्रेस सरकार का एक और घोटाला
राज्य: छत्तीसगढ़
मुख्यमंत्री: भूपेश बघेल
घोटाला: गोबर ख़रीदी के नाम पर
घोटाले के अनुमानित राशि: ₹229 करोड़बघेल जी से पूछिये: अगर ₹246 करोड़ की गोबर खरीदी हुई है और 17 करोड़ रुपये का गोबर पदार्थ बेचा गया, तो बचा हुआ 229 करोड़ रुपये का गोबर कहां… pic.twitter.com/schJjD8joB
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 24, 2023
According to BJP MLA Saurabh Singh, the state government lacks clarity on the storage and actual transactions of cow dung. He asserts during the monsoon session that the ‘gobar ghotala’ is a forgery on paper. He claims that while cow dung worth ₹246 crore was purportedly purchased, only cow dung worth ₹17 crore was sold.
This discrepancy has raised questions about the management and utilization of the remaining cow dung.
Further, the MLA raised pointed questions on dubious transactions like the purchase of cow dung from a family that did not own a cow, etc. The MLA claims that Congress-favored families received over ₹5 lakhs for transactions in the name of the ‘gobar’ purchase. The MLA’s allegations highlight suspicions of fraudulent practices in the name of cow dung purchase.
Chhattisgarh Congress Government’s Response
The Congress-led Chhattisgarh government has refuted the allegations and stated that the BJP’s claims lack concrete evidence. During the Monsoon session, the ruling party’s Minister defended the government’s stance. He maintains that the cow dung purchase and sale were legitimate and transparent. Furthermore, he asserts that the government purchases and sales were made based on competitive market rates. Thus, no funds were misappropriated.
Political Fallout
The ‘gobar ghotala’ controversy is likely to escalate political tensions in Chhattisgarh. Currently, both parties engage in heated exchanges over the allegations. The BJP is attempting to discredit the Congress in the state. While Congress is trying to wipe its reputation clean of the stench of this ‘gobar’ scam.
The ‘gobar ghotala’ scandal in Chhattisgarh may be a contentious issue. It will definitely draw the public attention to any further allegations of financial irregularities and corruption within the state government. As the saying goes ‘ There is no smoke without fire!’, any further claims made by the opposition may place Congress in a difficult-to-defend position. An independent and impartial investigation is the only way out for CM Baghel and his administration. However, whether such an investigation will whitewash the entire ‘gobar’ smeared reputation of the Congress, is a question for another day.