The Jharkhand Police has arrested seven persons for reportedly siphoning off Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme funds. The FIR, filed on Tuesday at the Lapung Police Station, accuses assistant post master Binod Jaiswal, SBI’s accountant Anil Kumar Sinha, and five officials of the Block Development Office — programme officer Samir Sagar, Rojgar Sevak Sanjay Oraon, Panchayat Sevak Mansa Kachhap, junior engineer Bindeshwar Singh and assistant engineer Rahul Kumar...

OVER 2.5 crore job card holders registered under Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA) could be affected by the rural development ministry’s decision to introduce biometrics to the scheme. The job cards of beneficiaries in 200 districts across India are set to expire in 2011. The process of job card renewal under the biometric system would take six months to two years. This would deny the registered people 100 days...

The Supreme Court today sought response from the Centre and the Orissa government as to why the probe into the alleged irregularities in utilisation of funds for implementation of MGNREGA scheme not be handed over to the CBI. “Why not a direction be given to CBI to investigate the matter in accordance with law,” a bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia said. The bench directed the chief secretary of Orissa...

Livid at the allegation of diversion of funds sent by the Centre to states for  NREGA-mandated schemes, the Supreme Court on Monday warned to make an example out of Orissa to force other defaulting states to fall in line. "What nonsense is going on? The Centre must take steps to ensure that funds released under NREGA reaches the target population. We want action in this regard and will not allow any...

Livid at the allegation of diversion of funds sent by the Centre to states for NREGA-mandated schemes, the Supreme Court on Monday warned to make an example out of Orissa to force other defaulting states to fall in line. "What nonsense is going on? The Centre must take steps to ensure that funds released under NREGA reaches the target population. We want action in this regard and will not allow any...