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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | 4 district collectors misused NREGA fund for buying computers by Anindo Dey

4 district collectors misused NREGA fund for buying computers by Anindo Dey

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published Published on Aug 24, 2010   modified Modified on Aug 24, 2010


Once noted for exemplary implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), skeletons are fast tumbling out of Rajasthan’s cupboard with regard to the flagship programme of the UPA government. In the past few years, four districts — Tonk, Dungarpur, Dausa and Hanumangarh — purchased desktops and laptops worth Rs 3.83 crore using the NREGA fund. It is another question whether the villagers who were supposed to get these computers had any electricity or an operator to help them.

Notings from the files of the state rural development department uncovered by Suchna Evum Rozgar Ka Adhikar Abhiyan have brought to fore gross anomalies in purchasing computers with NREGA money in the four districts. The file notings indict the collectors by rural development minister Bharat Singh himself.

“However, no action was ever taken against any of the collectors even after the NREGA commissioner and other senior officials recommended for it. Most of these collectors though now have been transferred but orders such as their suspension had been put in the cold storage,” said Nikhil Dey of the Abhiyan.

In Tonk district, computers worth Rs 1.5 crore were purchased by the zilla parishad in 2008-09 from a local firm in gross violation of norms as the villages that they were meant for did not even have power. As per norms, a purchase can either be made through an open tender or though the director general, supplies and disposal (DGS&D). NREGA: Top officials aware of anomalies
Jaipur: Massive bungling of NREGA funds have been detected in four districts. The file notings point out that in just three months — between January and March 2009 — the then Tonk collector Subir Kumar had purchased computers worth Rs 1.2 crore from a firm that was not approved by the DGS&D. No quality checks were done on the computers nor any bank guarantee taken for them.

In fact, the district paid an additional VAT of 4% amounting to Rs 4.27 lakh, which would not have been required had these computers were procured through DGS&D. In Dungarpur, 210 computers, 210 printers and 210 UPS were purchased for Rs 85 lakh by the then collector Dr Arushi A Malik from a computer dealer. When the matter came to the light, rural development minister Bharat Singh recommended disciplinary action against the collector, but in vain.

Taking a strong note of the anomalies, the then commissioner, NREGA, Rajendra Bhanawat had written: “Great financial impropriety has been committed by the then district collector, Dungarpur, Dr Arushi A Malik....” The notings subsequently went on to recommend suspension of the collector.

Similarly, computers worth Rs 78.29 lakh and Rs 79.21 lakh were purchased by the districts of Dausa and Hanumangarh respectively from various dealers in violation of norms when no scheme was even formulated for the use of these computers in the employment guarantee scheme.

“These revelations are not our findings, but simply file notings by officials and the minister meaning that they were all aware of the anomalies that went in. In most of the purchases, the collectors were involved and file notings point out the names of collectors Neeraj K Pawan (Karauli), Jogaram (Dausa), Navin Jain (Hanumangarh) apart from Malik and Subir Kumar. Despite the fact that several of these matters were taken up in the assembly, no action has been taken against any of them yet. One fails to understand what shield is protecting them,” Dey said.


The Times of India, 23 August, 2010, http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIJ/2010/08/23&PageLabel=1&EntityId=Ar00105&ViewMode


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