Statesman News Service
MALDA, Nov. 19: At least 50 registered day labourers under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) today submitted a memorandum to the block development officer at Kaliachak II against a gram panchayat pradhan.
Labourers backed by the CPI (ML) Liberation informed the BDO, Mr Chirantan Adhikari, that the pradhan of Panchanandapur II gram panchayat Mr Haripada Ghosh allegedly asked them to pay Rs 27 to open a bank account.
“A local man assigned by the pradhan already collected the money from us without receipt,” they added.
After hearing the workers’ complaint, the BDO reportedly talked to the pradhan over telephone and told him not to do this.
The district nodal officer, NREGS, Mr Ranjit Mandal said labourers would not have to pay money for opening a bank account. “The government will bear all expenses from NREGS fund for opening their bank accounts,” said Mr Mandal, adding that he would look into the matter.
The Malda SDO Mr PC Pal said he would talk to the BDO and asked him to conduct an inquiry into the allegation if necessary. According to the nodal officer, NREGS, all block officials have been asked to open bank accounts for the registered day labourers to pay them for 100 days work.
The objective is to check irregularities of payment to the labourers. The block officials will deposit labourers’ remuneration in the bank from where they would withdraw the payment. The GP officials used to pay their remuneration earlier in exchange for "cut money", the district officials said.
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