Bhubaneswar: The Opposition parties today slammed the ruling BJD government after a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) revealed irregularities in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in Odisha.
The report presented in Odisha Assembly yesterday mentioned irregularities in payment of Rs 3,114 crore wages to people working under MGNREGA.
Disappointed, BJP leader Rabi Nayak said, “It is very unfortunate that there were only four Committee meetings under the Chairmanship of the Chief Minister. The ruling government has looted and neglected everything because of which Odisha has been tagged as a poor state.”
Congress Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati stated, "Till today, the state government has not given pension to a single person and they have all issued fake papers during the work carried out for a period of 100 days. Thousands of crores have been misutilised. The BJD government is involved in corruption and should be ashamed of it."
However, refuting the allegations, BJD spokesperson Amar Satapathy said that the CAG report is not the final one. “This report is completely a draft para. CAG has submitted its report and in the next phase the concerned department will also submit its side. Lastly, there will be a scrutiny and that will be final,” he said.
On the other hand, Panchayati Raj Minister Pradeep Maharathy stated that the state government, till December 2017, has received Rs 1613 crore from the Centre while Rs 508.46 crore from previous years is still pending.
Former minister Damodar Rout said, "MGNREGA losing way in Odisha is true. Actual beneficiaries are getting wages whereas the officials are acting arbitrarily. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will take action after the facts are established."