Irregularities alleged in implementation of MGNREGS

Srikakulam: Irregularities are alleged in implementation of works pertaining to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in Srikakulam district. District water resources management agency (DWMA) is the nodal agency to monitor works under the MGNREGS. As it is a Central government-sponsored scheme, a four tier system is adopted to prevent irregularities in the scheme.

Social audit is the weapon to arrest anomalies in the MGNREGS works. But this system was ignored during the last five years due to excess political involvement in the works. As a result, field assistants and technical assistants are being made scapegoats now.

It is alleged that with the pressure from the local leaders at village level, wrong musters and excess bills were being prepared and funds granted.

As per social audit reports, field assistants misused about funds to the tune of Rs 28 lakh. Of this, only Rs 13 lakh was recovered so far. Mainly social audit teams allegedly collected about 20 per cent of the total worth of the works to manage accounts. But these irregularities are coming to light after the change of the government in the State. Now the irregularities are coming out in all villages across the district. Two days ago a dispute arose during a social audit at Kotabommali mandal centre. Complaints are being made on MGNREGS works when local MLAs are conducting grievance redressal programmes at mandal-level offices.