Admitting there was fraud and bungling in making payments amounting to ₹5.93 crore from the MPLAD funds of Union minister Smriti Irani to Sharda Majdoor Kamdar Sahkari Mandli, a cooperative society of BJP members, Gujarat government has informed the Gujarat high court in an affidavit that it has attached five bank accounts of the organisation containing nearly ₹86 lakh and initiated proceedings against three government officials.
The state government’s admission has come in response to a petition filed in the high court by state Congress president Amit Chavda two years ago. The government also said it is trying to recover money from a private agency hired as an implementing agency for development works.