Activist moves Karnataka governor seeking independent probe into MGNREGS scam

Bengaluru: More than a year after the district ombudsman for Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in Shivamogga district issued an order for suspension of a computer operator for diverting wages to his wife’s accounts without getting any work done, an appellate authority has overturned the order, prompting the complainant to move the Governor’s office against the shocking acquittal.

Ombudsmen are independent authorities appointed to inquire into complaints of irregularities in the MGNREGS programmes.  

Following a complaint by Manjunath H of Lanchamukta Karnataka Nirmana Vedike, Shivamogga, Ombudsman P D Ganapati looked into irregularities in the MGNREGS payments in Huruli gram panchayat and found that Gurunath, the data entry operator in the panchayat was responsible for the same.

“Gurunath has a job card in the name of his wife and by adding his name in the card, has violated the MGNREGS rules. It is established that he has given attendance to his wife without work and is directly responsible for providing unemployment allowance,” he said, recommending Gurunath’s suspension.

However, in an order dated August 21, an appellate authority overturned the Ombudsman’s order by citing technical grounds, including the lack of GPS-photos to prove that Hemavathi, Gurunath’s wife, received wages though she was absent from work.

In his complaint to the governor, Manjunath said the “shocking” acquittal by the appellate authority goes against the law.

“This order is biased, unlawful, and contrary to the Ombudsman’s clear findings. It absolves the accused by shifting responsibility to the Barefoot Technician, ignores the prohibition on officials holding job cards, dismisses proven denial of unemployment allowances worth Rs 1,43,000, and even accepts a dubious photo produced by the accused as evidence,” Manjunath said, seeking the governor’s intervention in suspending the appellate authority’s order and a direction for independent inquiry.