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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Bid to bring SC focus on MGNREGA corruption by Anindo Dey

Bid to bring SC focus on MGNREGA corruption by Anindo Dey

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published Published on Jun 23, 2011   modified Modified on Jun 23, 2011
Taking ahead its fight against corruption in schemes under MGNREGA, the Aruna Roy led Suchna Evum Rozgar Ka Adhikar Abhiyanhas begun work for bringing the glare of the Supreme Court and the Centre on cases of misappropriation in the state. The Abhiyan's move comes after alleged complacency by the state in handling these cases.

And while the Abhiyan would be taking up the numerous cases where sarpanches have been found in the wrong it also plans to highlight cases where higher officials are allegedly involved in the misappropriation of money in the district.

Featuring prime among them is the purchase of desktops and laptops through the direct involvement of the then district collectors of Tonk, Dungarpur, Dausa and Hanumangarh worth over Rs 4.15 crore. Never mind if the villages for which the computers were destined never had electricity or a computer operator.

Notings from the files of the state rural development department uncovered by the Suchna Evum Rozgar Ka Adhikar Abhiyan had brought to fore gross anomalies the then commissioners of the four districts in purchasing computers with MGNREGA money.

Members of the Abhiyan have alleged the involvement of collectors such as Arushi Mallik (Dungarpur), Neeraj K Pawan (Karauli), Subir Kumar (Tonk), Joga Ram (Dausa) and Naveen Jain (Hanumangarh).

Even rural development minister Bharat Singh had himself indicted the collectors for these purchases. The then commissioner of MGNREGA Bhanawat had also recommended suspension of these collectors. But no action was taken.

"No action was ever taken against any of the collectors even after the commissioner NREGA and other high officials recommended it. Most of these collectors have now been transferred, but orders such as their suspension have been put in the cold storage," says Kamal Tak of the Abhiyan.

"But we are planning to take action in these cases. We would soon be moving the Supreme Court for this. The court is currently hearing MGNREGA anomalies cases from other states, after that we plan to take up cases from Rajasthan," he added.

In Tonk districts computers worth Rs 140.98 lakh were purchased by the zilla parishad way back in 2008-09 from local firm in gross violation of norms when the villages that they were meant for did not even have power. According to norms any purchase can either be made thorough an open tender or though the Director General Supplies and Disposal (DGS&D).

The file notings point out that in just three months between January and March 2009, the then district collector Subir Kumar had purchased computers worth Rs 120.66 lakh 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 Dungarpur about 210 computers, 210 printers and 210 UPS were purchased for Rs 85 lakh by the then collector Arushi A Malik from a computer dealer.

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

However, special inquiries in all the above cases by the rural development department have given a clean chit to the collectors. The recommendations from the inquiry panels suggest warnings for a few collectors and justify the anomalies as "ignorance of rules," or "decisions taken in haste!"

The Times of India, 23 June, 2011, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Bid-to-bring-SC-focus-on-MGNREGA-corruption/articleshow/8957511.cms


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