A wave of outrage has swept across Maharashtra after an investigative report by Lokshahi Marathi uncovered large-scale corruption in a government scheme intended for the welfare of construction workers. The report revealed that material kits, meant to be distributed free of cost to registered workers, were being siphoned off through a nexus of middlemen and corrupt officials.
The state government has been providing material kits worth ₹20,000 under a special welfare scheme for construction workers. However, it has come to light that brokers and unauthorized agents were exploiting the scheme, extorting money from the beneficiaries in exchange for goods meant to be distributed freely.
Following the exposé, Maharashtra’s Guardian Minister for Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Sanjay Shirsat, took immediate cognizance of the issue and ordered an investigation. “It is extremely serious that benefits of government schemes are ending up in the pockets of brokers instead of reaching the intended beneficiaries,” Shirsat stated. He has demanded a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe and has directed the District Collector to form a one-member inquiry committee to examine the allegations in detail.
The consequences of the scandal were swift. Acting on viral videos circulating on social media—videos showing workers being coerced into paying ₹1,500–₹2,000 for biometric verification and ₹600 for the actual kit—Daulatabad police arrested a key middleman identified as Akbar Sheikh. Two of his accomplices, a man and a woman, are currently absconding. Legal proceedings have been initiated.
The investigative journalism by Lokshahi Marathi has drawn widespread praise for bringing the issue to light. The outlet’s detailed coverage has not only highlighted deep-rooted irregularities in the scheme but also spurred the state machinery into urgent action.
This case has once again raised pressing questions about the implementation and monitoring of welfare schemes in Maharashtra, especially those targeted at vulnerable labor segments.