M S Nazki
Early Times Report
POONCH, Jan 3: The delay in the implementation of MGNREGA schemes aimed at providing employment to the rural population to uplift their living conditions has put the youth of Mendhar, Surankote, Mandi, Mankote, Balakote and Haveli Poonch in a quandary. At the same time there has been a delay in completion of works under MGNREGA and the inspection of projects has also been irregular in the various villages of these tehsils.
Sources told Early Times that funds allocated for MGNREGA have remained unutilized during the past several years due to which workers are not compensated with inordinate delay taking place in the payment of wages. "Villages including Harni, Kasoite, Chattral, Kalaban, Ari, Gursai, Harmutta, Nakamanjhari Mankote, Salwah, Balakote, Sangoite, Sagra, Dharna, Gultha, Sathra, Mandi, Lassan, Buffaliaz and Balakote have faced the brunt of administrative inertia since the allocated funds have remained unutilized so for," said sources. They said in other Poonch areas although the MGNREGA work was under process, on papers, it was shown as completed. Sources said that even 60 per cent work had not been completed so for, which was a huge loss to the state exchequer. "Irony is that there has been a delay in the completion of works under MGNREGA and inspection of projects has been irregular," sources informed. "The fact is that a large amount of funds allocated for MGNREGA has remained unutilized so for. Rural Development Department (RDD) should take note of poor utilization of funds and take steps to improve the same," said sources. Sources said the MGNREGA scheme was meant to protect the rural households from poverty and hunger, but it had allegedly become a huge corruption industry and RDD ministry should initiate action against officers found guilty of misappropriating funds under MGNREGA schemes. "Various offences in records such as employment related information in job cards and unlawful possession of job cards with elected Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRI) representatives and MGNREGA functionaries should be made punishable under the same Act. Some people who are dealing with affairs of MGNREGA are goons who don't know anything about the centrally sponsored schemes," said sources. Sources said that there were serious concerns about the lack of work and also fraud in the identification of BPL (Below Poverty Line) households. As a result of this, some genuine households were excluded from BPL list and were added in APL category deliberately, sources alleged. |
