Private complaint on irregularities in MGNREGS

 A private complaint was filed in the Special Lokayukta Court on Friday alleging irregularities in the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

The complaint, filed by K P Mohan, claims that Rs 10 lakh, which had been sanctioned for the construction of a building named the Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra at Aithnur village in Puttur taluk in 2011, was misappropriated.

The contractors undertook just minor repairs, renovated and added two rooms to an existing building and showed it in accounts as the Seva Kendra.

Judge N K Sudhindra Rao has posted the matter for hearing to November 7.
Mohan further claims that Rs 30 lakh was sanctioned for the execution of other works in the village.

But none of the works were executed by those who were issued job cards and the projects were completed by contractors who later took the money. Fake entries were also allegedly made in the job register to collect money.

“A total of 526 people were issued job cards, but not a single person was given any work,” Mohan said.

Raj Shalini Rajneesh (the Principal Secretary to the Rural Development and Panchayat) is one of the accused in the complaint as she headed three committees: for Priority projects, for Finance and one for monitoring the quality of construction.

The last committee also decides who the job card holders in a project are. The complainant contended that Rajneesh, as the head of all the committees, should have ensured that no such lapses occurred. The others accused in the complaint are president of Aithnur Gram Panchayat Satish Poojari, Assistant Engineer Prabha Chandra, Director of MGNREGS Munish Moudgil and ombudsman of Zilla Panchayat office Sheen Shetty.