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NREGS: no let-up in graft charges

Prof. Jean Dreze

BHUBANESWAR: Even as the Orissa Government claims to have ‘found’ no discrepancy in implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in the State, there seems to be no let-up in corruption allegations.

Jean Dreze, development economist and member of Central Employment Guarantee Council (CEGC), here on Thursday alleged nearly 32 per cent of NREGS fund being spent to provide jobs to needy people was going to pockets of officials and contractors.

The ‘findings’ were based on a quick survey initiated by the G. B Pant Social Science Institute (Allahabad University) and conducted by students from Delhi University with local volunteer at 30 worksites in three Orissa districts such as Bolangir, Boudh and Kalahandi from October 3 to 12 this year.

Making a presentation on the findings here, Mr. Dreze said, “a major part of the loot is recycled through the so-called ‘PC’ (percentage) system, whereby various functionaries receive fixed percentage of NREGA funds.”

The beneficiaries of percentage system were Block Development Officer (2 per cent), Junior Engineer (5 per cent), Assistant Engineer (3 per cent), Block staff (1 per cent), Village Level Worker (5 per cent, Gram Panchayat Secretary (3 per cent) and miscellaneous (3 per cent), he charged saying contractors were making 10 per cent profit.

“Private contractors are banned under NREGA. However, in a majority of the samples of gram panchayats, the investigators found evidence of continued involvement of contractors, either directly, or indirectly (through dummy village labour leaders),” the survey findings said.

The survey pointed out 10 major loopholes in the implementation of NREGS in the state.

These include NREGA staff shortage, dormant gram sabhas, lack of grievance redressal cell, lack of transparency in muster rolls and faulty design of job cards.

Recently, the State Government carried out two-tier inquiries – one by district-level officials and other by State-level officials – to ascertain the veracity of report of one NGO that alleged the corruption in NREGS implementation in Orissa amounted to Rs. 500 crores. The Orissa Government had dismissed all the allegations of corruption saying “these were without any basis or rationality.”

Meanwhile, CEGC is scheduled to meet government officials and civil society groups here for an interaction on implementation of the anti-poverty scheme.

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