SHILLONG, March 8: Despite spate of corruption charges being levelled against some village employment councils (VECs) across the state, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has downplayed the frequent allegations and reported manipulations in the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
Claiming that there is lot of accountability in the implementation of the central scheme, the chief minister said, “There may be 5-10 VECs with some problems, but this is not the general trend in the entire state,” he said.
Asserting that if there was any wrong doing in the implementation of the scheme, the chief minister said that Centre would have not have increased the funding for Meghalaya from Rs 700 crore to 1600 crore.
“They (Centre) are satisfied, and we are the top three level,” the chief minister said, while assuring to take action against those committing such crimes as and when any matter is reported to the state.
The CM’s statement comes after the Chairperson of Meghalaya Lokayukta recently proposed to the Principal Secretary of the C&RD department for a probe into the allegations and fixing of responsibilities for non-execution and non-implementation of works, if any, with regard to MGNREGS in South West Garo Hills.
Hearing a complaint recently, Lokyukta Chairperson PK Musahary had said that the probe could inquire about the non-submission of fund utilisation and initiate departmental action against officers concerned, if so warranted as per existing law and rules.
The order also said that the Principal Secretary may initiate criminal proceeding against the officers concerned and bring them to book, if they are found involved in the alleged misappropriation of public funds.
The Principal Secretary would then have to intimate the court’s registry about the initiation of probe by the department as well as initiation of criminal proceeding within 10 days, the order stated.
Being mainly concerned about the allegations of corruption, the Lokayukta examined the counter affidavit filed by Additional Programme Officer and Technical Assistant, MGNREGS, C&RD Block in South West Garo Hills, the order said.
It also studied the preliminary inquiry report submitted by the state police in which the lapses committed in execution of various works were mentioned.
“What is found in this case is that the respondent authorities did not monitor or supervise the works executed in the fields for which the above mentioned lapses have taken place,” the order said.