Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 25: In a landmark judgment, Division Bench of State High Court comprising Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar and Justice B S Walia today directed the Minister of Rural Development Department (Chairman State Employment Council), Union Secretary Rural Development, Chairman Central Employment Guarantee Council New Delhi, Director MGNREGA, Commissioner Secretary/Director Rural Development Department and Director Social Audit (MGNREGA) to conduct a time bound preliminary enquiry in the multi-crore MGNREGA scam in five blocks of district Doda namely Gandoh, Changa, Kahara, Jakyas and Chilli.
They have also been directed to take remedial measures on the basis of findings of inquiry in order to ensure implementation of MGNREGA in letter and spirit and also take action for the violations in accordance with law. Moreover, they have been directed to complete the enquiry within four months and submit the report before the Registrar Judicial, who would place the same before appropriate bench for orders.
The inhabitants of these five blocks filed the Public Interest Litigation through Farooq Ahmed Dar, President Labour Party and others which was argued by Advocate Sheikh Altaf Hussain.
The counsel for the petitioners stated before the DB that huge numbers of job cards have been issued in violation of Scheduled-II of MGNREG Act. “The BDOs with the active connivance of Panchayat Secretaries and Sarpanchs have issued multiple job cards to various members of the same household(s). Even large numbers of job cards have been issued to the Government employees, Sarpanchs, Panchs, pensioners, students and contractors, who are not eligible under the Act”, he added.
Stating that crores of rupees have been shown released for various works not existing on the ground, he further submitted that 40% of the cost component released by the Government for the material and wages to skilled and semi-skilled workers has in fact been embezzled and the job cards holders were asked to collect material and execute all the works by employing skilled and semi-skilled workers on their own.
“As per the information uploaded by the department on the website more than 15 crore of rupees have been shown released for the material component and payment of wages which in fact have been shared by all concerned”, Advocate Altaf further submitted, adding “huge number of vendors, family members, close relatives and blue-eyed persons of the BDOs, Panchayat Secretaries, AEEs, JEs, GRS and Sarpanchs have been shown in the record just to usurp the State exchequer and share the booty”.
Quoting the information provided under the RTI Act, he said that Rs 205.52 lakh and Rs 56.03 lakh have been released in Bhalessa and Gandoh blocks for the year 2010-2011 and Rs 176.39 lakh and Rs 191.37 lakh for the year 2012-2013. Likewise there has been loot and plunder in other blocks as well. “The inhabitants of the area have filed a detailed complaint to SSP Doda and higher authorities of MGNREGA but their voice has been muzzled by using brutal force”, he added.
The DB, after hearing the counsel of the petitioners, disposed of the PIL by directing the respondents to conduct the enquiry into the allegations leveled in the petition within four months and submit the compliance report before the court for judicial scrutiny.
Follow our WhatsApp channel