GS Asgotra
Early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 16: Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Schemes (MGNREGS) which promises 100-days of work for rural labourers, is proving a boon for Panchayat representatives, who have been found involved in misappropriation of funds, with active connivance of officials. In response to an RTI application the Department of Rural Development revealed that in Panchayat Dhanoo, in Tehsil Udhampur a Sarpanch and Numberdar, who are also son and father, have falsely drawn double wages for 150 days in connivance of officials.
The RTI reply revealed that for nearly 114 days, Numberdar Gajay Singh had been shown working at two places in the muster rolls prepared by the department. Moreover, the Sarpanch, who happens to be son of Numberdar, Sanjeet Singh had also been shown working at two separate places in the muster rolls for nearly 59 days.
The people of area maintained that along with RDD employees, Sarpanch Sanjeet Singh and his father Numberdar Gajay Singh had got completion certificates and had also made fictitious muster rolls, for double drawn of wages.
In response to an RTI application, the Rural Development Department (RDD) revealed that nearly 120 days of work on the muster roll no. 26817, 26512,28150,25670,30592, 31042, 30071, 40 and 30069 has shown that Gajay Singh had been doing work one same day at two different work sites.
While 59 days works on the muster roll no. 40, 30069, 38, 31042, and 30071 revealed that Sarpanch Sanjeet Singh had been done work, on same day at two different sites.
However, the documents furnished by RDD revealed that fictitious muster rolls, signature of panches on completion certificates, fictitious labourers were produced for withdrawal of money from Block Development Office Udhampur.
AR Mir, resident of Dhanoo revealed that all the fictitious work was done by Sarpanch Sangeet Singh with active connivance of panches and his father Numberdar Gajay Singh, who had shown completion certificates of work to BDO, Udhampur and withdrew money of working days in two different sites but actually the site of work which shown on muster roll that is B- Path and C-Path of Bamma, on ground yet to be completed.
He further said that some of prominent of villages had sent a complaint to State Vigilance Organization (SVC) on 30/08/2014 through the speed post but so far they had not got any response.
Judicial Member of Panchayat Dhanoo, Jagdish Dutt while admitting the bungling said that if prominent personalities of panchayat have been involved in corruption practices then the purpose of MGNREGS to provide 100 days work to rural labourers would be defeated.
When the correspondent contacted to Sarpanch Sanjeet Singh said that if department enquiry would prove that he had involved in bungling then he would be ready to return the withdrawn money. He further said that the muster rolls were prepared by the department and if there would be any withdrawal of money twice inadvertently, he would repay the same.
Assistant Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Pawan Parihar said that he had personally visited the site and ordered an enquiry and referred the matter to BDO Udhampur. |
