As the Whistleblower Protection Bill remains stuck in the Rajya Sabha, the Rural Development Ministry has moved ahead to amend the Central rural job scheme, with an aim to ensure security to investigating officials/complainants and whistleblowers for exposing the irregularities in the implementation of the MGNREGA.
As per the recent Amendment of the Para 10 of the standard operating procedure (SOP) for operationalising provisions of Section 27 (2) of MGNREGA, the States have been asked to initiate prompt criminal proceedings against “acts of violence, intimidation and coercive action,” against those who prevent exposing the flaws in the scheme.
The States have also been asked for registration of separate criminal cases regarding misappropriation of Government money and other issues of corruption. The investigation of such cases to be also monitored, said the order.
The Amendment also envisages setting up of grievances cells in view of increasing complaints about the irregularities in the flagship programme launched in 2006. The number of grievances across the States has almost doubled — from 528 in 2009-10 to 1,091 in 2011-12.
“The State Government should establish a complaint cell under the direct charge of secretary RD in the State, for looking into all the complaints related to the rural job scheme.
“The complained cell may register complaints specifically related to the programme or it may be the same as for complaints related to other programmes/schemes of Ministry of rural development,” as per Amendments.
It also sought to ensure adequate security to the complainant/whistleblower and their family members of the special audit/social audit team by the concerned district collector and superintendent of police. In case, the officials are found to be involved in preventing the crusader of corruption from doing their jobs, appropriate administrative disciplinary proceedings will be initiated against them.
To bring about transparency and accountability at grass-root level, a special social audit has to be initiated at the village panchayat within the Block/Mandal concerned, say the Amendments.