Centre's warning to Jharkhand on MGNREGS projects

In the light of fact finding report submitted recently by the Union rural development secretary B K Sinha on the rampant corruption and irregularities in the implementation of the projects under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee, the Centre has warned the Jharkhand government that it would be compelled to discontinue to release funds for rural job guarantee projects under MGNREGS..

In consequence of Centre’s warning, the state government has decided to appoint district-level ombudsmen to ensure effective implementation of the MGNREGS projects and deal with the menace of corruption that was revealed in the report of the Union rural development secretary.

The Union rural development secretary in his voluminous fact-finding report had revealed that series of murders had taken place in Jharkhand over payment of wages to the labourers by the contractors.

In contravention of rules and workers’ rights,, the state government involved the contractors to execute all MGNREGS projects in the state and they were suspected of enjoying strong ties with the administration, the report said.

The report also highlighted the involvement of two IAS deputy commissioners at Bokaro and Latehar for sending false reports and misleading the government of India on the recent killings of Niyamat

Ansari, a close aide of civil rights activist, Jean Dreza at Latehar and Subal Mahato, a 50-year-old labourer in Bokaro by contractors.