Congress, SP doing politics over MGNREGS irregularities in UP: BJP

chief spokesman of BJP state unit questions delay in action against culprits

BJP today alleged that Congress and Samajwadi Party were doing politics over irregularities in rural jobs scheme in Uttar Pradesh.

"After irregularities were detected in the MGNREGS, both the Centre and the state government are promising inquiry and action against guilty, but nothing concrete has been done so far," chief spokesman of BJP state unit Vijay Bahadur Pathak told reporters here.

Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh emphasised the need of ordering a CBI inquiry into irregularities in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), but "the question is who has prevented him from getting an inquiry conducted by the CBI or any other agency," he said.

Pathak alleged, instead of taking action against those guilty, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has been accusing the Centre of discrimination against the state.

"In an interview, the CM had admitted loot of funds and had claimed that officials responsible have been identified and soon action will be taken against them," he said.

"If the CM was aware of the guilty officials then why it was taking such a long time to initiate action against them," her asked.

Ramesh had yesterday, while claiming complaints of irregularities in implementation of the scheme in Uttar Pradesh, said the state government "should realise its responsibility in implementing central schemes".

The minister said he had suggested the previous and present governments to recommend a CBI inquiry into corruption in the MGNREGS in seven districts.