The MGNRGEA scheme was launched to provide employment and income to the poor and needy people, but the officials who are involved in its implementation are found to have taken most of the benefit under this scheme.
A few weeks back, Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy in his letter dated February 3, had written to the Principal Secretary Agriculture to conduct an inquiry into a news on “Plantation in 500 hectares disappears in Ghasipura,” published in this paper. An inquiry team of district level Forest and Watershed officials reported how huge MNRGEA funds were misappropriated by the Horticulture officials through false records.
Many of them who were not even aware of such programmes were shown as beneficiaries. A report in this matter was submitted by the team to the Government but action is awaited against the culprits. Not only in Ghasipura block alone, but the scam is allegedly detected in Champua Sub division too. In the year 2014-15 the horticulture authorities claimed to have planted two lakh fruit bearing plants in Champua and Jhumpura blocks. The Government had allocated to pay half man-days wage for digging of each pit, i.e about Rs 82 as labour charges per pit to the beneficiaries. But only Rs20 instead of Rs82 was actually paid as wage per pit and huge money was misappropriated by preparing false muster rolls.
Some activists of a local youth association complained this during field investigation in Khudaposi and Pahadpur village. The farmers, who are shown beneficiaries under the plantation scheme, also revealed about low payment and denied having received any bio-fertilizers from the department. But sources informed that Rs9 lakh was released to the supplier who claims to have supplied the bio-fertilizer inputs. No plantation exists in some of the fields and the villagers are ignorant about such large quantity plants. Suspicion also arises as to whether the quantity of plants shown on records was actually purchased or false purchase bill was raised by the authorities. Over a crore rupees is alleged to have been misappropriated in this plantation programme under MGNRGEA in Champua and Jhumpura area alone.
Detail investigation into MGNRGEA funds spent in other parts of the district can unearth even more bungling. A probe by the Vigilance into the MGNRGEA funds allocated to Keonjhar DRDA in the last three years can bring many corrupt babus to light who have illegally benefited from the programme, demanded Keonjhar Progressive Citizens’ Forum president Dhirendra Rout.