Merinews.com,Jan 22,2008
EARLIER IN 2007, CEFS (Centre for Environment and Food Security), a New Delhi based NGO (Non Governmental Organisation) had alleged that funds to the tune of Rs 500 crore were siphoned off in the state on the basis of the survey conducted in 100 villages from six districts of KBK (Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput) region. This had compelled the state government to ascertain the veracity of the report, but only to disprove all the charges later. However, the government’s claim notwithstanding misappropriation of funds and irregularities in implementation were prevailing, alleged another survey a couple of months ago.
Some of the shocking findings of the survey conducted by the GB Pant Social Science Institute (Allahabad University) at 30 worksites in three western Orissa districts – Bolangir, Boudh and Kalahandi - include
The officials and contractors siphon off 32 per cent of the fund
Contractor Raj, though virtually disappeared in some states, is still alive here
No column for wages paid in job card makes it impossible for workers to verify their wage payments .A worker without job card is often accommodated by clubbing his wages with those of someone who has a job card under the latter’s name .Drinking water, first-aid and child care facilities are not found in many worksites
One of the most shocking findings of the survey is that a major portion of the fund is being misappropriated through the so-called percentage system, where various functionaries have their fixed percentage. According to the survey, contractors are making ten per cent profit with the other beneficiaries of percentage system being block development officer (two per cent), junior engineer (five per cent), assistant engineer (three per cent), village level worker (five per cent), gram panchayat secretary (three per cent), block staff (one per cent) and miscellaneous (three per cent). In most of the sample GPs (Gram Panchayats), the surveyors found evidence of continued involvement of contractors, either directly or indirectly through dummy VLL (Village Labour Leaders), despite the fact that private contractors are banned under NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act). The contractors, in turn, are often under the control of local political leaders.
The main purpose of the job card is to enable NREGA labourers to “verify” their own employment and wage details. In Orissa, this purpose has been defeated from the start due to faulty design of the job card. In particular, there is no column for “wages paid” in the job card, making it impossible for workers to verify their wage payments. Even the number of days worked is hard to verify, as the names of the labourers and worksites have been replaced by “codes”. The problem of faulty design of job cards is compounded by irregular maintenance. In most of the sample villages, the survey found that job card entries were incomplete or even blank. Cases were even found of entire hamlets, where just a few households had a job card. The incomplete distribution of job cards has led to problematic “adjustments” in the records to accommodate workers without job card at the worksites.
In many of the sample GPs, it was observed that various “adjustments” in job cards and the muster rolls had become routine practice. For instance, a worker without a job card is often accommodated by “clubbing” his/her wages with those of someone who has a job card, under the latter’s name.
Take the case of Phulmati Behera, widow of Kartik Behera, who was registered under the NREGA. The panchayat office of Biswanathpur under the Lanjigarh block in Kalahandi district took her name and other details. But more than a year has passed and she has not got a job card yet. Similarly Savitri Dora of the same village was also not registered as she was not covered under the BPL survey conducted in 2002, the basis on which people were registered and given job cards throughout the state. This faulty selection of the basis of distribution of job cards by the government has deprived many eligible people of reaping the benefits of the NREGA works.
The system of maintaining of dual records had indicated lack of transparency in muster rolls in the sample GPs. For instance, authentic attendance details are taken in informal notebooks (“kuccha muster rolls”) at the worksite while official (“pucca”) muster rolls are filled – and often fudged – elsewhere. Besides, muster rolls are rarely accessible for public scrutiny. “Live” muster rolls were not kept at the worksite (as per NREGA Guidelines) in any of the sample GPs, and “completed” muster rolls were typically kept at someone’s home rather than at the Panchayat Bhawan. Like the job cards, muster rolls are difficult to verify.
Discrepancies in original copies and on-line muster rolls, manipulation of entries in muster roll, submission of incorrect and inflated utilisation certificates were also detected in several blocks – claims the recent CAG report.
Case 1
People of Kuten village of Muskuti GP in Narla Block of Kalahandi district applied for NREGS work and after some days, they got one village tank work in the village. After working for more than 15 days, people demanded wages but after several demands, a concerned junior engineer took the job cards from all the villages (near about 80 people). Without giving a single amount to the people, he took two to three signatures in the muster roll. After four days, a group of people came to the agent and demanded to return their job cards. He was compelled to return the cards to the people, but the junior engineer deprived the workers of their payment. People have stopped their work since then.
People from the same village allege that in their previous work (in April this year), they were assigned to work for only 16 to 20 days, whereas the government record says that they have got 52 days work. The villagers also allege that they received certain amount of wage, but signatures were taken in the blank muster roll. They could not know what amount was mentioned on the muster roll.
Case 2
Around 90 labourers of Bileibahal, Bandega, Juniani, Taragarh & Mahakulpara village worked under NREGA, which was finished on October 15. As per the norms of NREGA, they should have been given the payment by a week or maximum within 15 days. On October 29, the concerned junior engineer estimated the works of those labourers, but he did not make any payment. He assured them to make such payment on November 8 at 10 am. As per assurance, all 90 labourers reached Rajbahal GP office before 10 am on that day. But the junior engineer, who came at 3 pm, after making entries of their names and ID numbers into muster rolls, started making payments to labourers at 4 pm. After giving away payments to 35 labourers, the junior engineer told them to come next day. But the hungry labourers, who were not in a mood to budge down, confined the junior engineer in the GP office until the police came to solve the matter. Later, the rest of the payments were given in the presence of Debendra Mohanty, BDO, Lephripara block and Sachindra Kumar Panda, OIC, Lephripara PS till 11 pm.
Shortage of NREGA staff, poor attendance of Gram Sabha, dormant vigilance committee and lack of grievance redressal are found to be other vulnerabilities to the scheme. However, the state government earlier this month announced to engage one lakh unemployed youths in 50,000 villages to work as `Gaon Saathis’ (friends of villages) to assist the junior engineers who oversee implementation of various developmental works under NREGS in the rural areas.
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