In a significant breakthrough in the infamous Ballia foodgrain scam, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Varanasi arrested former block pramukh Munna Singh, also known as Sugreev Singh, on charges of embezzling over Rs61 lakh in government funds.
Singh, a resident of Saraya village in Ballia district, had been absconding in connection with the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) scam. The scheme, active between 2002 and 2005, was designed to provide rural employment and foodgrain distribution in Pandah block, where Singh served as block pramukh during 2004–05.
Investigations revealed widespread corruption including forged documents, fake muster rolls, and the non-distribution of foodgrains. Instead of funding infrastructure and employment, much of the money was misappropriated, leaving many public works incomplete or substandard.
Under the directives of UP DGP Prashant Kumar, the EOW launched a focused search operation, culminating in Singh’s arrest. The move is part of the government’s broader strategy to clamp down on corruption and recover public funds misused under development schemes.
Officials believe that Singh’s arrest could help unravel deeper networks of fraud and bring further accountability in one of the region’s most high-profile corruption scandals.
