Bargaon: The sarpanch of Barangakachhara panchayat under Bargaon block in Sundargarh district has finally taken up with the Vigilance, misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs 5.65 lakh under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
The move followed after the sarpanch got no response from the collector, the project director of District Rural Development Agency and the block development officer.
The complaint brought to the fore the fact that the administration was indirectly supporting the nexus between gram rojgar sevak, panchayat extension officer (EO), junior engineer and others in misappropriating the money meant for development works.
Sources said, last year Rs 94, 830 was sanctioned in the name of Sulochona Sunyaanya, mother of Dileswar Sunyaanya, gram rozgar sevak (GRS), for a dug well. While there was no sign of any dug well, the money was withdrawn by the vendor Sabita Tandia, wife of Dileswar.
George Bud of Kusumunda village had dug a well. His money was allegedly withdrawn by the vendor Sudana Sunyaanya, father of Dileswar, but the money was yet to be transferred to the beneficiary’s account.
Similarly, Sudana withdrew an amount of Rs 1 lakh for laying morrum on the road between Kualga basti and Thutapada. But there was no such work done on the stretch.
Though Rs 1.22 lakh was withdrawn in the name of Sabita for construction of a bathing embankment on a village pond in Bankibahal village, the same was not done.
For laying morrum on Bheluabahal road up to Mahakulapada, Rs 1.56 lakh was withdrawn, but the work is yet to be done.
Similarly, Rs 1.20 lakh was withdrawn for renovation of a pond in Munda gaon and repair of its steps without doing any such work.
In panchayats, there is a provision that a vendor can withdraw a beneficiary’s money and later give it to him or her. But here in Barangakachhara panchayat, the GRS’s father, mother and wife were made vendors to embezzle money meant for beneficiaries and various development works.
On receiving complaints, when Pushpanjali Minz, block chairman, and Sarathi Pande, vice-chairman, asked Dileswar, the GRS, he admitted the allegations and promised to return the money to respective beneficiaries.
Rajeswari Kalo, sarpanch, had also undertaken a separate investigation and found lakhs of rupees had been illegally withdrawn. She had reported the matter to the collector and other officials, seeking their intervention to do justice to the beneficiaries. With no action being taken by them, she finally handed over all the findings to the Vigilance.
When asked, Sushant Kumar Singh, block development officer, said that while the collector had not ordered any probe, Vigilance had initiated its investigation.
However, locals alleged that one-and-a-half years have passed since withdrawal of money and how without verification of any junior engineer, the vendors could manage to withdraw the money.
How the irregularities have escaped the attention of government officials, they asked. PNN
