Panel to probe all NREGA works in Rajasthan village after financial fraud

JAIPUR: The state rural development department has constituted a three-member committee to look into the alleged financial irregularities in MGNREGA work in all the gram panchayats under Jhontri panchayat samiti in Dungarpur district following complaints from two gram panchayats Baniya Talab and Basuwa. The financial irregularities have come to light after a thorough investigation into the files of 199 works under these two gram panchayats in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
Following procedural irregularities in MGNREGA work in the two gram panchayats, a three-member committee including Rajesh Pungliya (executive engineer, NREGA, Chittorgarh Zila Parishad), Devendra Rathore (accounts officer, NREGA, Chittorgarh Zila Parishad) and Devendra Kumar Mehta (assistant engineer, NREGA, Chittorgarh Zila Parishad) has been formed for a detailed probe into the alleged irregularities in all the gram panchayats under Jhontri panchayat samiti.The order was issued by project director NREGA Rajendra Singh.
Earlier, a detailed inquiry into the files of the works under Baniya Talab and Basuwa gram panchayats conducted by Rathore and Mehta found “serious financial irregularities” and “several payments were made violating the rules of the state government" in various development works. The report also stated that “evaluation of the financial loss to the exchequer could not be calculated due to paucity time and less members in the committee”.
“Technical sanctions up to Rs 5 lakh approved by JTA (junior technical assistant) and JEN (junior engineer). For convergence programme, sanctions up to Rs 10 lakh can be cleared by the BDO (block development officer) for technical, administrative and financial sanctions. The information of which is given to the district collector,” said an official.
“So, in these two panchayats, they undertook some work through convergence programme (i.e. NREGA and other departments). They sanctioned the amount for all the works under the convergence programme and didn't inform the Dungarpur collector about it. The works under the programme were on an average of Rs 15 lakh, for which technical sanction of the assistant executive engineer (AEN) was required. But, approval of the AEN was missing. The JTA gave its approval and the BDO sanctioned the work,” the official added.
“Earlier, a committee was formed to investigate the matter and it found that the documents related to the NREGA works were not complete,” he added.