From Our Correspondent
TURA, April 28: The Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) has demanded a magisterial or judicial inquiry into the alleged large-scale embezzlement of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) funds under the Demdema C&RD Block.
In a major development that has raised serious concerns about governance and transparency in the implementation of rural schemes, the CoMSO submitted a letter to West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Jagdish Chelani, highlighting an alarming pattern of fraudulent misappropriation of funds between the financial years 2020-2021 and 2024-2025.
The allegations involve the issuance of fake and illegal job cards under Non-Tribal Village Employment Councils (VECs), particularly in Muslim-dominated villages such as Bhangarpar and Bangalkhata.
According to CoMSO, multiple job cards were issued per household, non-residents and ineligible individuals were granted job cards, and even non-existent persons allegedly received wages.
According to the CoMSO, verified data and grassroots-level reports indicate that the manipulation of job cards was not isolated but appeared to be part of a systematic, organised fraud.
The Confederation specifically called for an investigation into the alleged role of a Data Entry Operator, Dildar Attaullah Reza, along with other officials.
Further, CoMSO revealed disturbing instances where minor children were listed as job card holders and wages were diverted to accounts linked through manipulated Aadhaar details.
Such practices, it stated, constitute a grave violation of MGNREGA’s core objectives of ensuring dignified rural employment and alleviating poverty.
The CoMSO appeal outlines several urgent demands—institution of a high-level magisterial and preferably judicial inquiry, immediate suspension of implicated officials to prevent tampering with evidence, a comprehensive audit of job cards issued and wages disbursed in Demdema Block over the past five years, legal action against individuals found guilty of financial fraud and criminal breach of trust, and robust institutional reforms to safeguard future disbursements.
“This is not a politically motivated request. It arises from our collective responsibility to protect public resources, empower the vulnerable sections of our society, and restore public faith in democratic governance,” it said.
It may be mentioned that the CoMSO has submitted detailed records and documentation, backing its claims, and expressed its willingness to cooperate fully with any investigation.
It urged the government to act swiftly to ensure justice, accountability, and the restoration of public trust in the state’s rural development initiatives.