In an action taken regarding the alleged embezzlement of Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MNREG) scheme funds by an officer and gram pradhan, Haridwar District Magistrate Deepak Rawat has suspended Bahadrabad Block Village Development Officer (VDO) Narendra Rana and ordered departmental action against Gajiwali Gram Pradhan Mukesh Kumar. It is learnt that action has been taken regarding the irregularities involving embankment works at Gajiwali under MNREG, the first such case in the state regarding MNREG.
However, giving an interesting twist to the matter, VDO had said that he had done all such works at the behest of the senior officers. Taking note of it, DM Rawat sought an explanation and directed him to reveal all the names.
Things had started after the villagers of Gajiwali had met DM Rawat and registered a complaint, stating that money had been transferred in their MNREG scheme accounts though they had not worked on such projects under MNREG. As DM had sought detailed information from them regarding the same the villagers had informed him that cash ranging from Rs 7,000 to Rs 9,000 had been deposited in their MNREGS bank accounts despite no work being done on the embankment projects or safety wall under MNREG this year.
According to the villagers, safety walls had been constructed instead under disaster security scheme by MNREGS job card holders in 2013-14 and their wages had already been paid.
Taking note of the compliant, DM Rawat had reached Panchayat Ghar, Gajiwali and asked about the same issue from Gajiwali gram pradhan in the presence of the villagers.
Haridwar DM suspends VDO in alleged MNREGA funds embezzlement As the DM had reviewed job cards, workers’ muster role and other related documents it had been revealed that on muster role cards, only names of the people had been mentioned with no mention of the works done. Besides, some names mentioned in muster role had not been matched with the villagers’ names. Irked over this, DM Rawat had asked the village development officer and gram pradhan to show the works done for the year 2016-17 and he along with villagers had visited the sites to physically verify things.
Villagers had alleged that under the pressure of a relative of an influential person and a highly placed state administration officer, VDO and Gram Pradhan had shown project worth Rs 45 lakh in the muster role for the year 2016-17. DM directed the District Development Officer Pushpandra Chauhan to suspend the Village Development Officer and ordered departmental action against the Gram Pradhan.