VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Feb. 11: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Jharkhand has informed the Jharkhand High Court that it was not “given any case for the investigation related to the MNREGA scam in Khunti” hence no question arises to investigate the role of the then Khunti Deputy Commissioner Pooja Singhal.
It is very surprising that the ACB, supposed to be an agency highly specialized in investigating financial crime and corruption, was asked to investigate only small cases involving Junior Engineer Ram Binod Prasad Sinha. The ACB was kept away from the investigation of the MNREGA scam where the total embezzled amount is Rs 10.16 Crore.
The first FIR 97/10 lodged on September 18, 2010, is related to the embezzlement of the above-mentioned amount.
The ACB affidavit states that the Cabinet (Vigilance) department handed it only two FIRs against Ram Binod Prasad Sinha and others. Sinha posted as the junior engineer at the Khunti District Board was the main accused of the MNREGA and other scams.
Besides, Sinha allegedly committed scams in other developmental projects. In 2010 the Khunti district administration had lodged over a dozen FIRs against him and others.
The ACB’s affidavit is in response to a Public Interest Litigation filed by one Arun Kumar Dubey in the Jharkhand High Court. The petitioner alleged the probe agencies shielded Singhal in the investigation of the MNREGA scam. Dubey added that the role of Singhal must be investigated in light of new findings. He further pointed out that under section 23 of the manual of the MNREGA the district programme coordinator is mandated to ensure accountability and transparency in the MNREGA schemes. On this, the court had directed the ACB and the Enforcement Directorate to file their reply whether or not the role of the then Khunti DC was investigated. The ED informed the court that investigations were going on against Singhal.
Singhal as the deputy commissioner of Khunti and district programme coordinator of the MNREGA served from February 2009 till July 2010.
The ACB said that the defalcated money of these schemes which were given to the ACB for investigation was not related to the MNREGA scheme.
The ACB said that only two cases namely Khunti P.S case No.- 99/10 and 100/10 dated 24 September 2010 were handed over to the Bureau for investigation. BJP’s Arjun Munda had just taken oath as chief minister of the coalition government when two cases were handed over to the ACB.
The first case is related to two separate projects of building a Revenue Court office and Revenue Block office worth Rs.45 lakh and Rs. 13.46 lakh respectively. The audit found the value of the construction work was worth Rs. 18 lakh and Rs. 9.88 lakh respectively. Thus, a total of Rs 30. 50 lakh was embezzled in the process.
The second case is related to the development of basic infrastructure for police recruitment in Khunti district A sum of Rs. 85.45 lakh was released by the state Home Department for the same. The audit report revealed that the total valuation of the work was Rs. 6.07 lakh only. Thus, a total of Rs. 78.73 lakh was embezzled in the process. The ACB said that it investigated both cases and submitted charge sheets against the accused persons.
This is still a mystery as to why the then government and successive governments in Jharkhand kept away the ACB from investigating the MNREGA scam in Khunti. The ACB can even seek the permission of the government to initiate an inquiry or to take up an investigation of a particular case. Only political and police dispensation can reply whether the ACB ever expressed the desire to investigate the MNREGA scam.
