Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, May 9: The ombudsman relating to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), after going through complaints about misuse of funds meant for being spent under the said act, has ordered for recovery of Rs 13,46,908 from the concerned.
The ombudsman has found that five projects, which were either not approved under the act, got executed through contractors, or got done by engaging of machines in place of manual work, do not fulfill the conditions mentioned in the act. The said amount has been ordered to be credited to NREGA funds account.
The violation of rules relate to construction of compound wall to private land within Neermarga gram panchayat in Mangalore taluk, which is not permissible in the act, over Rs 5.25 lac spent for providing protective wall near a house, work in connection with the construction of a protective wall for the land owned by a private English medium school near Gurpur through contractors, and levelling of land using machinery within Kutruppady gram panchayat limits. These irregularities relate to the years 2012-13 and 2013-14. The amount has been ordered to be refunded within 30 days, failing which the officials concerned will be subjected to disciplinary action as per rules,the ombudsman said in his order.
During the inquiry conducted bvy the ombudsman, panchayat development officers reportedly admitted in writing to the irregularities committed by them, and promised to make good the amount to the treasury by recovering the misused amount. Already two officials of Neermarga gram panchayat have recovered and remitted Rs 25,000 from the concerned and deposited the same into NREGA account, is is gathered.
Member of Kutruppady gram panchayat, Elcy Thomas, had complained to the ombudsman relating to irregularities committed within the limits of that panchayat under the act. Some villagers from Gurpur and Neermarga gram panchayats had also sent their complaints relating to violation of NREGA provisions in their villages.