Balasore: Given the difficulties due to lockdowns and shutdowns, the government is taking every step to ensure work to rural people under MGNREGS.
However, scamsters have allegedly grabbed job cards of idle beneficiaries and used them in projects in Balasore. The beneficiaries are sitting idle, a report said.
On the other hand, the administration is making initiatives to create scope of more workdays for rural people.
Reports said, the administration has set a target to create 39 lakh workdays in 2020-21 while in the current year the target is 61.50 lakh workdays.
Till date, only 29 per cent of the target has been met. Such slow pace of work stands in sharp contrast with the government’s emphasis on expediting MGNREGS projects.
In many cases, job cards have been prepared in the names of senior citizens, differently abled and kin of government servants. Their names are put in muster rolls while carrying out projects.
It was learnt that job cards have been issued to 3,78, 761 families while the per cent of active job cards is less than 50 per cent in the district. For years together, most of the job cards remain idle.
The administration and different departments have made strategies to broaden the scope of the rural job scheme through small projects – vermin compost making, multipurpose garden, grass carpeting, farm ponds and compost ponds.
It was also seen that some job card holders are not interested to work under MGNREGS.
This provided an opportunity to unscrupulous contractors, engineers, panchayat representatives and vendors to use idle job cards while doing work with machines.
This is how they make their own benefits, it was alleged. In some cases too, wages have been misappropriated in the names of labourers from other areas.
Various quarters have demanded a high level probe into such irregularities which have marred successful execution of MGNREGS. There is a need for awareness drive to make people aware against such frauds and raise their voice.
When contacted, PD, Rabindra Kumar Sahu said wherever such allegations are received, investigations are carried out. The administration has been carrying out audits of job card holders.
If someone does such frauds and violates guidelines, there is a provision of penalty and action against them, he added.
PNN
