NREGS scam under scanner

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Aug. 3: Based on a video footage the district administration has decided to take stern action against a group of goons who prevented government officials from conducting an inquiry into a case of financial irregularities in the implementation of the national rural employment guarantee scheme (NREGS).Government officials were able to take a video of a clash between two groups at Pashchim Narayanpur, an island in the Ganga, in Manikchak block on Thursday where they had gone for receiving statements from beneficiaries who were deprived of their pay.According to the officials, a group of people suddenly came to the Pashchim Narayanpur Island by boat and attacked the complainants so that they could not give statements to the government officials. The goons reportedly drove away three investigating officials from the group of government officials from the spot. “After a clash between the group of ‘have and have-nots’, it became apparent that a section of people were involved in financial irregularities in the NREGS”, said a senior top officials.“It was also revealed that the group who could not manage to make ‘profits’ from funds disbursed for beneficiaries finally decided to lodge a written complaint after many days”, he said. It may be recalled that the district administration had taken up an initiative to cultivate jatropha through the NREGS in an island on the Ganga for the downtrodden people living there and identified several other islands on the Ganga a few years ago. Nearly 640 acres of land were identified for Jatropha cultivation and estimated cost of the project was more than Rs. 2 crores. Hundreds of people were engaged including self-help groups (SHG) for jatropha cultivation at Duani-Char and Pashchim Narayanpur in Dakshin Chandipur gram panchayat in Manikchak last year through NREGS.More than Rs.15 lakh were allotted for preparing a seedbed for jatropha saplings and its plantation. The block authorities had already made a part payment to the beneficiaries by cheque after opening bank accounts last year. Interestingly, some middlemen backed by local influential people belonging to the CPI (M) allegedly withdrew money from the bank but did not pay remuneration to a section of the beneficiaries. Though the matter has been brought up verbally, nobody lodged a written complaint. After dislodging the CPI (M) from power in Manikchak panchayat samiti, the present Congress led panchayat samiti members decided to make it an issue and lodged a complaint with the BDO in Manikchak on 16 July this year. The BDO has decided not to release payments for plantation of jatropha in two islands after receiving complaints regarding financial irregularities under the NREGS project.The district magistrate Mr. CR Das asked concerned officials to conduct a thorough investigation to take stern action against the culprits. ( END)