Employment scheme fuelling profusion of contractors: CEO

Taluk-wise nodal officers appointed to review projects

Speaking at a progress review meet here on Tuesday, the CEO said the scheme was introduced to prevent exodus by guaranteeing jobs for certain number of days. “Unfortunately, instead of creating jobs for the poor, the scheme has resulted in the birth of overnight contractors.”

Listing out irregularities in the scheme, he said job cards have been issued to one and all without verifying the eligibility.
The contractors have been preventing labourers from attending work since their bills have not been settled.

On the other hand, the bills of contractors who not executed any work are being settled on priority basis. While the records show that projects worth Rs 157 crore have been completed, the ground reality is that not even 10 per cent of such projects have not been executed.

A report shows that projects worth Rs 23 crore are yet to be implemented.
The CEO noted that majority of the departments have not selected beneficiaries even as the financial year is half way through. The Taluk Panchayats have not obtained approval for action plans and neither wide publicity has been given for various projects.
He directed to finalise the selection of beneficiaries of welfare schemes at Gram Panchayat level and later seek approval from Taluk Panchayat.
Approval should be sought from respective standing committees if the scheme comes under the purview of Zilla Panchayat.

He took exception over failure to constitute a commitee to report the state of affairs of the all the hostels in the taluk.
The district in-charge secretary had directed the Social Welfare Department and Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare Department to submit a report on the state of hostels before September 25.

The CEO observed that the subsidy on purchase of farm equipment was not reaching the beneficiaries and that the Taluk Panchayat has not released the funds meant for various projects to respective departments.
He also took objection on not extending financial assistance for construction of houses in farms. Solar lamps have been installed at hostels without approval.

Additional staff
Additional staff have been deputed even before the work on the upgraded taluk hospital has begun.
The number of beneficiary students under Akshara Dasoha is being inflated, he noted.
Taluk-wise nodal officers have been appointed to inspect the projects taken up under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Secretaries suspended
A total of 15 Gram Panchayat secretaries were suspended in the district on the charge of irregularities in MGNREGS and in view of this, a review of all the projects taken up under the scheme is being conducted.
The nodal officers should also confirm on the availability of relevant documents to the public at the Gram Panchayat. However, the officers are yet to submit their reports, the CEO stated.
DH News Service