Rs 33,000 For A Water Jug: Row Over Chhattisgarh's Alleged Shopping Spree

In Chhattisgarh these days, the Gem of a portal seems to have turned into a Pandora's box. Alleged purchases of sky-high jugs, luxury-priced TVs, and even sofas instead of medicines are fueling political fireworks - and the Congress isn't letting the BJP sit comfortably. Literally.

The latest in this alleged buying binge comes from Korea district, where it is alleged that five smart TVs were purchased at an eye-watering Rs 9,99,500 each. The total alleged bill: Rs 49,97,500. These weren't for a high-tech control room or luxury conference setup but, as alleged by the Congress, were bought under the Tribal Development Department by the Commissioner's Office in Ambikapur from a firm based in Baikunthpur.

Before the dust could settle, another purchase was making waves: one-litre water jugs allegedly bought for Rs 32,999.5 each. According to the allegation, the Balodabazar Tribal Welfare Department ordered 160 such jugs via the Gem portal, totaling over Rs 51.99 lakh.

Congress President Deepak Baij claimed the alleged jug juggernaut reflects deep-rooted corruption. But the Tribal Welfare Department, in a defensive splash, issued a statement that no such purchase was completed - it was allegedly proposed by a former officer but cancelled in February 2025 due to inflated prices. 

Chhattisgarh's Tribal Welfare Minister while responding to the allegations by opposition said, "Why the anxiety? First check the facts before jumping to conclusions. When no purchase has been made, what's the point of an irresponsible allegation? The Congress seems to be in panic mode."

While the jug and TV tales still swirl in controversy, a new entry has joined the alleged absurdity files: Sofagate.

In Sakti district, the CMHO (Chief Medical and Health Officer) allegedly placed a medicine order on Gem, only for the specification to turn out to match a sofa. Yes, instead of life-saving calcium D3 tablets, the specs described a two-seater - 60 inches long, 635 inches wide (no, that's not a typo), and 55 inches tall. Allegedly, this was part of a medical supply order.

When NDTV reached out to the supplier, VJ Enterprise, the manager claimed ignorance. "We deal in medicine. I'm not aware of any sofa. The staff handles these things - we'll have to check," said Sukesh Makhija.

State Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal has promised an investigation into the Sakti sofa saga: "We'll look into it, and action will be taken against whoever is found guilty."

Meanwhile, the alleged corruption cloud continues to loom over CGMSC (Chhattisgarh Medical Services Corporation), where scams totaling more than Rs 750 crore in reagent and medical equipment purchases are under probe by the ACB and EOW. So far, six people have been arrested in connection with the case.