A major political controversy has erupted in Madhya Pradesh after documents tabled in the Assembly revealed that nine social welfare boards formed just months before the 2023 assembly elections spent two years without receiving a single rupee, without conducting meaningful work, and without benefiting a single person from any community.
Despite this, chairpersons appointed to these boards enjoyed government vehicles, allowances, and ministerial-status perks throughout their tenure.
The sensational disclosure came in response to a detailed question raised by MLA Pratap Grewal, who asked the government to explain the functioning, meetings, budgets, and outcomes of the community-specific welfare boards.
2023 के चुनाव से पहले 9 समाज बोर्ड बनाए, 8.34 करोड़ का बजट भी दिखाया… लेकिन एक रुपये तक जारी नहीं हुआ!
— Pratap Grewal MLA (@PratapGrewal2) December 2, 2025
अब सरकार ने चुपचाप सभी बोर्ड भंग कर दिए - ये विकास है या सिर्फ़ दिखावे की राजनीति?@INCMP @INCIndia pic.twitter.com/1fNH0g9OyZ
According to the Minister of State for Skill Development and Employment Gautam Tetwal's written reply, then-Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan formed these boards in October 2023, just weeks before the assembly elections. Leaders from key castes were given positions of chairman and member, many of them with ministerial rank.
The government admitted that a total grant of Rs 8.34 crore was sanctioned in 2023 for the operation of all nine boards, but not a single rupee was released to any individual board. As a result, not one beneficiary was identified, selected, or provided assistance under any scheme.
The minister stated bluntly that "information is not available" regarding beneficiaries, eligibility criteria, or benefits effectively confirming that no activity took place under the boards in two years.
In terms of administrative functioning, the reply revealed that not a single district-level meeting was conducted by any board during its tenure. Only a handful of state-level meetings took place: three for the Vishwakarma Board, one for Veer Tejaji Board, three for Jai Meenesh Board, and so on. Three boards did not hold even one meeting.
The Maharana Pratap Board never had a chairman or secretary appointed. The Telghani and Jai Meenesh Boards had no members appointed at all. The Rajjak and Veer Tejaji Boards had only one member each, instead of the required four. Outsourced staff were hired 18 months after formation and then dismissed within a few months.
Most of the boards operated from the AVN Tower in MP Nagar, Bhopal, where the Skill Development Directorate is headquartered. Two boards functioned from privately rented buildings, despite having no operational activity. Funds for administrative use were kept in a single SBI account but were not utilised, as the boards received no budget allocations.
MLA Pratap Grewal, speaking to NDTV accused the government of "cheating communities for political gain." He alleged that the BJP created these boards solely to mislead caste groups during elections by giving symbolic power and facilities to their leaders.
He further said that while chairpersons enjoyed cars, allowances, and official status, no schemes were launched, no beneficiaries were identified, and no youth or unemployed individuals from these communities received any assistance.
The government dissolved all the boards on 17 September 2025, exactly two years after formation.
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