When Keonjhar Collector Ashish Thackre sanctioned Rs 98 crore from the DMF to enhance the MGNREGA wages from Rs 201 to Rs 298 at that time it was thought that the migrant labourers will no more go out of the district and durable assets like ponds, roads, plantation of forests will be created but if the recent allegation of low quality of plantation work by Keonjhar Forest department is any indication, it is a great setback not only to the MGNREGA and DMF but Government's effort to contain distress migration.
Sources revealed that in order to create village forest, Rs 13 ,18,700 had been sanctioned from MGNREGA for plantation in 50 hectares of land in Pentadihi forest in Deobandh section under Ghatgaon range. As per rules, before planting of seedlings, it is required to dig pits in the month of April, May and June but it is alleged the Forest department was going to complete the project by digging below size pit instead of specific size of one feet deep and one feet diameter in the third week of July.
It is alleged that by digging below size pits, the Forest department was trying to misappropriate the wages of 5 work days which is Rs 1,490 per hectare in digging pit. There is also bungling of funds in use of fertilizer and manure on each hectare of land.
As the allegation flies thick and fast, Ghanashyam Mahanta, ACF in Charge of Champua, who is known to very close to DFO Santosh Joshi, has been assigned the implementation of MGNREGA work by sidelining Ajaya Sahu ,ACF in charge of Ghatagaon range.
Similarly , another close man of DFO, Keoonjhar, Deputy Ranger of Ghatgaon Range Pitambar Naik against whom departmental inquiry was initiated for his alleged involvement in a fraud case when he was Deputy Ranger in Tellkoi, was placed in a prized post and the field officer to implement the MGNREGA.
Now, it is demanded here that a proper inquiry and action against the errant officials be taken.