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Indian Express
23-06-2025
- Indian Express
Mahisagar: Govt officer among 12 booked in Rs 123.44 crore ‘scam'
The Vadodara Zone CID Crime on Monday booked a government officer and 11 outsourced staff employed under the Nal Se Jal scheme in connection with an alleged embezzlement of Rs 123.22 crore from the funds meant for 620 villages of Mahisagar district. The FIR, lodged on the basis of a complaint by Water and Sanitation Management Organisation (WASMO), Mahisagar district Unit Manager Girish Agola, states that the 12 accused 'connived and hatched a criminal conspiracy to defraud the government by creating bogus documents and embezzling Rs 123.44 crore for their personal gain.' The FIR states the period of crime as being between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2023. The FIR states that, 'money allocated by the state government for the purpose of drinking water pipelines, wells, and tubewell facilities in about 620 villages under the Nal se Jal scheme for the people of Mahisagar district was not utilized for the purpose, instead was siphoned off from the treasury by producing forged bills… despite being civil servants and some being assigned the duty as civil servants, the accused, in collusion with each other have indulged in criminal breach of trust and embezzlement from the government funds…' 'The accused also bypassed the authorised agencies to award work to agencies associated with familiar persons, partners and other such individuals, with the intention of mutual benefit..' stated the FIR. Agola told The Indian Express that the accused had forged invoices and prepared false documents, stating that the works had been completed for a bigger number of beneficiaries, when the same was not implemented on the ground. 'The forged bills were for an area where the works were not undertaken… In some places, instead of the 5-km stretch that they have laid the pipeline for, the forged bills have claimed payment for laying pipelines in an area of about 12 km…'Agola said. The accused include former Unit Manager AG Rajpara, District Coordinator SR Patel, in-charge district coordinator Amit Patel, Assistant Technical Managers Mauleshkumar Hingu, Karamvirsinh Sisodia, Surpalsinh Baria, and Vanrajsinh Sodha Parmar as well as Assistant Technical staff Dashrath Parmar, Parthkumar Patel and Bhavikkumar Prajapati, along with Assistant Mechanical Alpeshkumar Parmar. Agola told this newspaper that except Parthkumar Patel, all other accused have already been suspended. The FIR also comes over a year after Agola had black-listed and debarred 27 contractors of the project in Mahisagar from undertaking the work as they 'did not follow the process of tender' and were accused of irregularities in June 2024. Agola said, 'The officers accused in this FIR were also involved in the irregularity related to the agencies and contractors taken on board to complete the works without following the tendering process… After (WASMO), we debarred them, they approached the court and sought relief… WASMO had to revoke the debarring… These accused officials have connived with some of the contractors and payments have been made from the government funds towards the forged bills while work has not been completed on the ground.' The Nal Se Jal scheme irregularity comes just two months after the Dahod district police arrested 14 people for alleged irregularities in MGNREGA, where government officials have been accused of allegedly conspiring with the unauthorised agencies in the Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur taluka of the district to embezzle funds of Rs 70 crore by producing forged bills for incomplete tasks. Sons of Gujarat Minister Bachubhai Khabad — Balvantsinh and Kiran — have been arrested in two offences each, in the Dahod case.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Patients as young as 8 reportedly having strokes in Hampton Roads
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Strokes in young people are becoming more frequent, and chronic stress may take the bulk of the blame, among other factors. In observance of National Stress Awareness Month, 10 On Your Side is exploring the link between the two. High blood pressure and cholesterol both sound off emotional triggers that can lead to are two major stress factors speeding up the rate at which ages 18 to 44 are experiencing life-threatening brain attacks. Chronic stress can cause high blood pressure, which inflames the blood vessels. That can result in what the American Heart Association said can lead to an intracerebral hemorrhage stroke, occurring when there's damage and severe bleeding to blood vessels in the brain. These types of strokes are increasing at a faster rate in young people. Dr. John Agola, interventional radiologist with Sentara Health, said about 10% of patients they see at Sentara for stroke make up younger patient populations, even 8 and 10-year-old's. 'I think it is scary,' Agola said. 'And I think we have to step back a little bit to see what has changed in our life. This has happened over the about the last 10 or 15 years, that probably 10% to 15% increase in the stroke prevalence in those age groups.' Agola called it an epidemic of poor health. He referenced the 50s and 60s as a time for good public health, but also recognizes times have changed significantly, pointing out the current opioid crisis and unhealthy eating culture. 'I think the general health of the younger population has been demonstrably shown to have been degraded,' Agola said. He attributes the current climate young people are having to navigate through, like the unstable job market and student loan woes, as heavy contributors to their stress levels. 'You go to school, you get a degree, you have your student loans, and you can't find a job that's super duper stressful,' he said. 'The environment related to the internet, for example, and social media, and what stress that creates for people who have to compare themselves to these elements of perfection that they'll never be able to live up to.' According to Agola, there are a few types of strokes frequently being seen in young people. No matter the age group, however, he said signs of stroke will be the same. 'So either [a] bland stroke, which means it's a stroke without blood in the brain or a stroke, where blood is presented into the brain,' he said. 'So that's for intracerebral hemorrhage. Now for ischemic strokes, [that] means a stroke without hemorrhage. The risk factors are protean.' Signs for stroke include numbness to one side of the body, slurred speech, chronic headaches, blurred vision, and challenges with moving or walking. If you or someone you know has any of the above symptoms, call 911 or head to an emergency room for medical assistance. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
