Khaira: The Centre-sponsored labor-intensive Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme has allegedly flopped in Khaira block of Balasore even though the administration has been conducting routine reviews of its execution. Social audits are conducted to gauge feedback of job card holders and the status of the projects being carried out.
According to reports, the administration held public hearing as part of its review on MGNREGS projects from April to September of 2019 Thursday here. Surprisingly, there was no job card holder present. Besides, a majority of members of the public hearing committee was absent.
BDO Debendra Prasad Bal expressed displeasure over absence of job card holders and members. Nilagiri sub-collector Harishchandra Jena and block social auditor Hemanta Kumar Padhi were present. Sarpanchs, samiti members and village resources persons put forth complaints about MGNREGS.
APO Rupaswini Rana read out a report on MGNREGS. The block administration had set a target to create 7, 09, 564 workdays in the period. However, only 30.78 per cent of the target has been achieved. Worse, there were contradictions in data. It was claimed that 81 families were ensured 100 workdays. Construction of 79 Anganwadi centres was carried out under MGNREGS during the period, but work of only 10 centres was completed. Similarly, renovation of 51 ponds was undertaken, but work of 13 ponds was completed.
During that period, work of 24 playgrounds was undertaken, but no playground was finished till date. Moreover, several other projects like parks, libraries and drinking water have not started.
People’s representatives alleged that many beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana have not received funds while toilets to others have not been provided.
Job cards of many MGNREGS beneficiaries have not been updated. At Tentulaia village, poor people have applied for job cards, but they have not been enrolled in the scheme. To hasten these projects, the BDO has adopted Makhanpur panchayat while the block chairperson has adopted Bartana panchayat.