Har govt suspends four officers in MNREGA scam

Cracking the whip against those accused in the MNREGA scam in Ambala, the Haryana government today suspended with immediate effect four Range Forest officers and recommended action against five others.
Besides, the state government has recommended to the Centre suspension of three Haryana Forest Services officers, a state government release said here.
Directions have also been issued for action against two retired officials according to the rules, the release said.
Haryana Vigilance Bureau had in January this year registered a case against nine officials of Ambala forest department for alleged misappropriation of Rs 4.99 crore in MNREGA scheme while planting saplings and developing parks in the district.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had ordered registration of a case in this matter which had allegedly been lingering for the last several years.
According to the FIR, lodged under various sections of the IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act, an amount of Rs 25.13 crore was allotted to Ambala forest department for various development works in the rural areas of the district under the MNREGA scheme.

Out of which, the fraud of Rs 55.50 lakh was uncovered in the development of herbal parks.
Similarly alleged embezzlement of Rs 1.70 crore was found in development of nurseries, Rs 1.90 crore in making passageways, Rs 61.68 lakh in labourers expenses, Rs 15 lakh in development works in village Mandor and Sahzadpur and Rs 2.28 lakh in excess construction of concrete paths in herbal parks.

Vigilance Bureau Ambala had sent a report of around 400 pages of the alleged scam to the government in which detailed information of plantation, herbal parks, and construction of passerways and filling of soil were mentioned.