Three other boards, including the Maharana Pratap Board, Rajak Samaj Kalyan Board and the Telghani Board, did not hold even a single meeting during their entire existence.

Among the nine boards, the Maharana Pratap Board failed to appoint its head and secretary in 23 months, while no members were appointed in the Telghani and Jai Minesh Boards.

The Rajak Kalyan and Veer Tejaji Kalyan Boards had just one member each instead of the required four.

Further, outsourced staff were hired 18 months after formation in November 2024 and then relieved of duties within a few months, between April and August 2025.

Importantly, a majority of the boards operated from the AVN Tower in MP Nagar, Bhopal, which houses the headquarters of the Skill Development Directorate. Two boards functioned from privately rented buildings, despite having no operational activity.

Congress MLA Pratap Grewal, who shared with journalists the details of the reply given by Minister Gautam Tetwal, said the reply makes it clear that the caste- and community-specific welfare boards were formed solely to secure votes in the 2023 Assembly polls.

“The specific caste-communities were cheated just for political gain. BJP people were appointed as chairman and members of the board and were given facilities like vehicles, honorarium allowance, telephone, etc., and their work was done through them. In the name of welfare of the board, the amount of Rs 8.34 crore received by the concerned department was not deposited in the board, due to which not a single person from the societies benefited. Now after two years, the dissolution of the boards makes it clear that BJP has done the condemnable act of insulting the societies in the name of the board,” he said.