Suspended for no fault
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, July 15 : The Government today re-instated 13 officers including two Assistant Commissioners of Development (ACDs), who were suspended last month for alleged “excess withdrawal of MGNREGA funds”.
These officers -the ACDs and BDOs- who were suspended for alleged withdrawal of funds without any authorization don’t have any direct role in releasing the payment as the Government in 2019 had empowered the PRIs and authorized them to release the payments.
The guidelines (No. 207 RD&PR of 2019 dated 04-07-2019) for release of MGNREGA payments read: “The signatory one (Panchayat Secretary) and two (Sarpanch) at Panchayat level directly draw the funds though the Digital Signature from State e-FMS account and transfer to the individual beneficiary account as Mandated in the Act. Besides, the payment of material transferred shall also be transferred electronically to the vendors account directly.”
A senior Government official told Excelsior that there was some misunderstanding to one of the officials who put the file as he was not aware of MGNREGA payment guidelines.
The official said that there is a single account under MGNREGA, operated and maintained in J&K Bank Civil Secretariat and all Digital signatures of Sarpanches are mapped with Central account for release of payment through e-FMS and there is no real time updation at Block and District levels. “The Block and District level officials who were suspended get the update of the release of payments next day. How are they responsible for these payments?” he asked.
The order regarding reinstating of the officers—Yaar Ali Khan, ACD Baramulla and Nisar Ahmad Malik, ACD Anantnag—was issued after the Inquiry Officer —Director Rural Development—recommended that payment made was genuine of approved works of MGNREGA.
The others who were re-instated in a separate but similar order include Junaid Ahmad Bhat, BDO Shangus; Shakeeb Arsalan, BDO Pahalgam; Talat Mehmood Wani, BDO Bijbehara; Muzaffar Hussain Wani, BDO Breng; Omar Bashir, BDO Verinag; Nasir Ahmad, BDO Noorkhah; Hilal Ahmad Bhat, BDO Parenpillan; Sheba Inayat, BDO Singpora; Fahmeeda Bano, BDO Sopore; Mohammad Arif Shah, DBO Uri and Abdul Ganai, BDO Wagoora.
“There was financial irregularities/indiscipline in excess withdrawal, however, there was no ill/malafide intention to make excess payment, since the payment made was genuine of approved works of MGNREGA and within the ratio of 40%”, read the orders of re-instatement.
The officers have been re-instated with immediate effect with a “strict warning to remain careful in future and not to withdraw any amount from Government Exchequer without authorization of the Competent Authority,” according to the order by Bipul Pathak Principal Secretary to the Government RDD.
“The period of their suspension shall be treated as on duty,” the order added.
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