The report will be made available to all States Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh on Thursday said his Ministry would make available to States the details of audit by the Comptroller and Auditor-General into rural development expenditure. “There was some ambiguity on this. I do not want any ambiguity whatsoever. All rural development expenditures of the Central government will be subjected to CAG audit in all States. I have had three...

In his letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, demanding a CBI inquiry into the alleged bungling of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) funds in the state, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has specifically named seven districts where large sums have been spent on purchasing toys, calendars, tents and other such items of questionable relevance. National and state quality monitors have in their reports mentioned several instances...

-EPW   The Anna Hazare group’s foray into electoral politics exposes its shaky foundations. The script of this drama was already written. A single issue campaign, focused narrowly on corruption in public life without a wider world view on the root causes of corruption or on the myriad other problems afflicting Indian society, had to come apart at the seams at some point. That moment arrived when “Team Anna”, as the people behind...

While a CAG audit is welcome, it alone won’t improve the effectiveness of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh’s recent decision to ask the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India) to audit MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) funds has created a buzz among social sector observers. They’ve been demanding reforms in MGNREGA’s implementation to arrest the slide in its effectiveness. The...

-The Economic Times   Congress sharpened its attack against BSP, with Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh accusing the Mayawati government of embezzlingMGNREGA funds. In a letter to the chief minister, Ramesh asked the state government to seek a CBI probe into "violations and cases of deliberate embezzlement of funds" in the implementation of the Centre's flagship programme.  Ramesh pointed to alleged siphoning of funds earmarked for the rural employment guarantee scheme in seven...