Nuagaon: Some officials working on soil conservation and watershed projects have allegedly misappropriated lakhs of rupees in coconut farming, which is being executed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in Nuagaon block of Nayagarh district. Farmers are encouraged to dig farm ponds in their land and take up horticulture under MGNREGS, but irregularities have scuttled its objectives, it was alleged.
Here is a case in point. Bamadev Nayak, a farmer of Maskabari in Paradhipi panchayat applied for coconut farming June 30, 2022. The soil conservation and watershed department sanctioned Rs 1.75 lakh for coconut farming and looked after the plantation care and maintenance.
Nearly 200 coconut saplings had been planted, but only 30 coconut saplings have survived. The officials have misappropriated Rs 42, 624 towards wages of job card holders, it was alleged. When asked about the alleged scam, the project director of the soil conservation and watershed department Sudharkar Satpathy said that after receiving a complaint he had asked an official to stop the bill for the work.
