RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Jan.17: At a time when hue and cry is on taking creation of jobs across the state, a serious violation has been detected in the UPA ruled state Jharkhand in implementation of MGNREGA that aims to guarantee the ‘right to work’ and was passed on August 23, 2005 under the UPA government of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
A concurrent audit conducted by the Social Audit Unit of the Rural Development Department detected the violations and mentioned the same in its report submitted last month.
The report suggests that hardly 25 percent actual laborers are working under MGNREGA schemes in the state and majority of work was done using machines against the letter and spirit of the law which UPA supporters claim to be one of the greatest laws in the interest of common people. Apart from this, it is also found that work is being done on the plans without a muster roll.
During the audit, muster rolls (attendance sheets) were drawn in the names of a total 159608 labourers. Out of those labourers, only 40629 actual labourers (25%) were found employed. The muster rolls of all the remaining fake names were removed. 1787 labourers were found whose name was not in the muster roll.
As many as 85 such schemes were found in which no muster rolls were created, but work was started.
376 labourers were found whose job cards were not generated.
In Dhanbad, muster rolls were issued in the names of 7,859 labourers for 1,348 schemes. During the audit, only 421 labourers were found working, which is only 5% of the number of labourers in the total issued muster roll. Even before the completion of the plan, the plan was completed on paper.
In Dumka district, an audit of 869 work sites found 774 people at work, although 7,712 labourers were listed. Records from Jama block of Dodhali panchayat in Dumka show that an irrigation well was constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 4.51 lakh. Between September 21 and October 4, 10 labourers were to work on the construction. But the audit team found that the work was “completed” a few days back for Rs 2.4 lakh. The money comes into the account without working, which is taken away by the middlemen.
During the audit in Garhwa, out of 20,995 workers, only 2,886 were found working at work sites. The audit team found a video of a woman from Garhwa district, purportedly admitting that she had received MGNREGA wages without working for the day, and the money was handed over to the village headman. Muster rolls of 2,798 laborers were found in 1,253 workplaces.
In East Singhbhum, muster rolls of 2,798 workers were issued in 688 MGNREGA schemes. But in this, only 1,253 laborers were found to be present at the workplace during work. For example, the work of Gaushala in Dhalbhumgarh block of East Singhbhum shows how the scheme of providing rural employment was made the center of loot.
The findings have come at a time when Chief Minister Hemant Soren in the last two years has been saying that MGNREGA has come as a “savior” during the pandemic with more than 10 lakh migrant workers having returned.
According to the scheme’s dashboard, under MGNREGA, Jharkhand generated 9.34 crore man days, employed 27.97 lakh persons, and spent Rs 2,637.60 crore in the current financial year alone.
Efforts were made to contact MGNREGA commissioner B Rajeshwari but she could not be contacted for her comments.
Jharkhand MGNREGA Watch Convener James Herrenj took strong exception to the situation and wrote a letter to the rural development department secretary and his counterpart in the union government for necessary action.
