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Centre asks Telangana to probe ‘irregularities’ in MNREGS
During the inspection, the official team found several lapses in the implementation of the scheme.
The Centre has expressed concern over the largescale irregularities in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in different parts of Telangana, as were revealed during the recent inspections by the central teams.
In a letter to Telangana chief secretary Somesh Kumar on August 12, secretary to the Union ministry of rural development, Nagendra Nath Sinha, said a team of officials from the ministry was deputed to conduct a monitoring visit between June 9 and 12 this year, in connection with the implementation of MGNREGS in five districts of Telangana.
During the inspection, the official team found several lapses in the implementation of the scheme. Some of them included the construction of food grain drying platforms in the villages and staggered trenches in the forest areas, which are not permitted as per the guidelines of the scheme, the letter stated.
For example, the state government had taken up the construction of 22,613 food grain drying platforms for ₹150 crore, which is not permissible as per the MGNREGS guidelines. The authorities even spent the amount for the erection of tree guards around the avenue plantations on either side of the roads.
The letter further stated that the central team found in some of the gram panchayats, the construction of cement concrete roads by engaging contractors, which is also not permitted as per the rules.
“There were major irregularities in estimation, approval and implementation of works relating to desilting of minor irrigation tanks. Similar irregularities were witnessed in the excavation of staggered trenches in plain areas instead of hilly regions with high gradients and splitting of works to avoid approval of the superior technical authority,” the Union secretary pointed out.
The inspection teams also found several procedural violations of guidelines such as those relating to community information boards, job cards, and maintenance of proper documentation in the gram panchayats.
Subsequently, the Union ministry sent another 15 teams to different parts of the state to conduct a thorough scrutiny of the implementation of MGNREGS and take up necessary course corrections. They covered 15 more districts and 48 blocks. “All the visiting 15 teams found deficiencies similar to those observed by the earlier Central team,” he said.
Stating that the reports by the central teams present a bleak picture of how the MGNREGS was being implemented in violation of the rules and regulations. “It not only requires action, including a refund of the irregularly spent amount, criminal and administrative action against the defaulters as also recoveries, but also a thorough overhaul of the administrative machinery and inculcation of a culture of transparency, accountability and making the best use of public funds,” Sinha said.
Expressing concern over the irregularities, the Union secretary said the Centre expects that the state government orders a thorough inquiry into the lapses and submit a detailed Action Taken Report (ATR) by September 11.
Telangana chief secretary Somesh Kumar and secretary, rural development Sandeep Kumar Sultania could not be reached for comment.
