Kendrapara MGNREGS scam: Five projects under scanner

Kendrapara: Rampant irregularities in projects under MGNREGS are surfacing frequently in Odisha with one more case of corruption being reported from Petapada panchayat under Aul block in the district.

It is alleged that machines were used instead of enrolling job card holders for at least five project works in the block and bills towards the projects were even passed without the signature of the Assistant Engineer here.

“As per the website of the central rural development department, five projects were sanctioned to be carried on in the region. Job card holders should have been enrolled for the projects but JCB machines were illegally used for digging up the ponds and also for other road construction and repair works,” said an RTI activist Srikant Baraj.

[caption id="attachment_225437" align="aligncenter" width="452"] RTI activist Srikant Baraj[/caption]

For the five projects, names of 163 people are there in the Muster roll as labourers and the government has sanctioned Rs 15.85 lakh towards wages. However, as per reports, the works were illegally carried on by machines.

Talking to OTV, said he has no information regarding the bills as the JE would have prepared it.

[caption id="attachment_225440" align="aligncenter" width="452"] Assistant Engineer Deepak Kumar Behera[/caption]

Also Read: State govt to order probe into Bolangir MGNREGS scam

Meanwhile, the district collector assured a probe into the allegations after getting a written complaint.

[caption id="attachment_225442" align="aligncenter" width="444"] Kendrapara Collector Raghu G[/caption]

Earlier, OTV had unearthed a scam in MGNREGS projects in Bolangir where fake job cards were found in the name of school children, differently abled children, Anganwadi workers and government employees. OTV had also broadcast on irregularities in MGNREGS government funds worth lakhs in the district following which Panchayati Raj Minister Pradip Maharathy ordered a probe.