In further embarrassment for the Trinamool Congress Government, the Calcutta High Court has constituted two separate committees to inquire into the fake job card and related MNREGA scam.
The functioning of the three-member committee comprising a representative each from the Centre, State and Comptroller and Auditor General would be monitored by the Court, the Judges said. While passing the order Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam said “in the fake job card scam case, one representative each from the state as well as the Centre, along with a representative of the comptroller and auditor general, will conduct the probe.”
A four-member committee on the other hand would inquire into the alleged discrimination in the distribution of the job cards. The panel will have the representatives of the central and state governments, the CAG and the accountant general of India’s office.
According to sources the Court took into consideration more than 300 letters written by farm labourers who had failed to get 100-days’ jobs. Subsequently a PIL was filed by the Paschim Banga Kshet Majoor Samiti, an independent outfit of labourers which alleged that there was gross discrimination in terms of issuing job cards to the supporters of Opposition parties.
While the actual needy persons were not given job cards those belonging to the ruling party or those who were the relatives of the political class from the ruling party secured jobs, the laborers’ forum alleged.
Earlier investigations conducted by central teams in 4-5 districts had revealed that there were more than 25 lakh fake job cards issued under the MNREHA scheme.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh last October went on record saying that “issuing of 25 lakh fake job cards under the MGNREGA by the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government is a scam,” adding the Centre was considering a CBI investigation in that regard.
Subsequently though these names were deleted, the TMC put up a counter argument alleging how there were about 1 crore fake job cards discovered in the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh.