RJD alleges 'loot' of MNREGA funds in Bihar

Alleging that there has been massive loot of funds under the MNREGA in Bihar, the RJD today asked the JD(U) government to issue a white paper detailing utilisation of Rs 8110.84 crore under the central flagship scheme between 2007 and 2012.

Alleging that there has been massive loot of funds under the MNREGA in Bihar, the RJD today asked the JD(U) government to issue a white paper detailing utilisation of Rs 8110.84 crore under the central flagship scheme between 2007 and 2012.

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The MNREGA has flopped in Bihar due to 'loot' of funds under the scheme by the official machinery as pointed out by the CAG in its report, the RJD chief national spokesperson Ramkripal Yadav said.

The irregularities in implementation in the central flagship scheme in Bihar as highlighted by the national auditor deserves response from the state government which should bring out a white paper that details as to how it has spent Rs 8110.84 crore under MNREGA in 534 blocks of the state between 2007 and 2012, he said.

The state government should also explain as to who is responsible for Bihar being deprived of funds to the tune of Rs 9884.24 crore under the MNREGA for not formulating labour budget, the RJD spokesman asked.

The state government has not provided a mandated 100-day employment to the rural poor people under MNREGA with only 35 per cent identified as getting jobs under the scheme as has been found out by the auditors, he said.

He added that during inspections, the auditors could not find trees planted worth Rs 2.07 crore in a dozen districts.

The auditors also detected glaring irregularities like purchase of ACs, fuel for vehicles, house rent and BPL survey works, Yadav said.

He asked chief minister Nitish Kumar to either give point-to-point rebuttal to the charges of irregularities in MNREGA or quit from his post and own up moral responsibility for gross irregularities in implementation of the central flagship scheme in Bihar.