TURA: Days after misappropriation of MGNREGA funds by a BDO was detected in Demdema community and rural development block of West Garo Hills, the Lokayukta Court has yet again ordered a probe into embezzlement charges after villagers in South West Garo Hills levelled allegations against Mondalpara village employment council (VEC).
In their series of complaints, the villagers alleged that the missing job card salaries and funds for projects were being either untouched or left halfway by their VEC.
Chairperson of Meghalaya Lokayukta, Justice (Retd) PK Musahary, has directed the state DGP to conduct a preliminary inquiry into allegations of misappropriation of funds by the VEC of Mondalpara under Zikzak development block and submit the report within four weeks.
The job card holders of Mondalpara village approached the Lokayukta court accusing their VEC secretary and president of misappropriating various schemes sanctioned by the Zikzak Block under MGNREGA including payment of wages for work and the material components.
Witnessing the shoddy quality of work for several schemes, the villagers mentioned in their complaint before the Lokayukta that they had approached the VEC secretary, Abul Hashem, asking him to conduct a Gram Sabha meeting for furnishing details of the work undertaken, but each time their request was turned down.
This compelled a woman job card holder, Kanchana Marak, to file a right to information (RTI) request with the block, seeking details and documents pertaining to the projects sanctioned for Mondalpara village council.
Based on the RTI documents and site verification, it was revealed that several lakh rupees had been withdrawn by the VEC secretary and president from numerous projects.
In many of the works, the accused secretary had cut corners to allegedly siphon off the funds.
Funds totalling over Rs 1.81 lakh for a kilometre of roadside arecanut plantation was withdrawn with no sign of the project on the ground.
In several construction works, the accused secretary cut corners by not undertaking cement plastering, reducing the length, breadth and height of work projects, using two instead of four iron rods as beams in construction of walls, among others.
These violations, which also pose a threat to the lives of people, were found to have been most glaring in projects such as improvement of road with protection walls in Mondalpara village.
One of the most glaring violations of the MGNREGA projects and funds was spotted in the failed construction of a road from the PWD road to Simbugre with a protection wall sanctioned by the Zikzak Block.
Albeit the project allegedly never took off, yet the total wages amounting to Rs 14.49 lakh were withdrawn by the secretary out of which he deducted Rs 2.5 lakh for his personal gain as the money was credited into the account of the VEC, it was alleged in the complaint to the Lokayukta by petitioner Babul Ahmed, who based his complaint on the RTI findings of Kanchana Marak.
The complainant alleged in his petition before the Lokayukta that despite several complaints to the Zikzak Block seeking a proper inquiry against the alleged misappropriation by the VEC and a request not to sanction any further work until completion of previous projects, the accused secretary and president managed to obtain two other schemes.