A significant controversy has erupted in Punjab's Fazilka district over alleged financial irregularities and mismanagement in a water conservation project sanctioned under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The project, intended to create a community water harvesting lake, is located in Badha village, directly adjacent to the official residence of the Fazilka Deputy Commissioner.
The Project: High Cost, Minimal Progress
Official MGNREGA records show that the Badha lake project was approved on March 4, 2024, with an initial sanctioned cost of Rs 4.19 crore. Work began on March 12, 2024. Shockingly, an advance payment of Rs 57.85 lakh was released just two days later, on March 14, 2024.
However, the district administration states the total project cost is closer to Rs 10 crore. Despite the substantial advance and the passage of the 12-month deadline on March 12, 2025, the only visible construction on the nearly two-acre site is a boundary wall. The administration claims work corresponding to the released funds is limited to this wall.
Political Firestorm and Allegations
The site became a political flashpoint when suspended Congress MLA from Abohar, Sandeep Jakhar, visited on Thursday. He publicly challenged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, stating, "Rs 57 lakh from MGNREGA and Rs 61 lakh from RDF (rural development funds) have already been spent here — a total of Rs 1.20 crore." He questioned the output for this expenditure and suggested this is why the AAP government opposes the new VB-G RAM-G scheme.
His uncle, Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar, had visited the site a day earlier as part of the party's Jan Jagran Abhiyan. He alleged outright embezzlement, claiming, "crores of rupees were embezzled in the name of the old NREGA scheme to create a so-called 'Badha Lake'. No lake exists at the site even though payments have already been made." He asserted VB-G RAM-G aims to curb such corruption, which is why the state government opposes it.
Administration's Response and Broader Context
When contacted, Subash Chander, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) of Fazilka, clarified the official stance. He reiterated the project's estimated cost is around Rs 10 crore and confirmed only about Rs 56 lakh had been released, against which the boundary wall was constructed. He stated no further funds were released, halting progress. Regarding the alleged Rs 61 lakh from RDF, he said details are being sought for verification.
This scandal is not isolated. It unfolds against a backdrop of widespread allegations of MGNREGA malpractices in Punjab. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan cited over 10,653 reported cases of irregularities in the state as of December 30, with claims of no action taken. Workers from Fazilka were among those who submitted complaints during his visit in November 2025.
Local BJP leader Ranjam Kamra further alleged systemic violations, noting that contractors are paid swiftly while workers wait months for wages, and the mandated 60:40 material-labour cost ratio is often flouted.
The district administration's investigations are ongoing, but the political debate over accountability, transparency, and the future of rural employment schemes in Punjab has been decisively reignited.
