Ombudsmen to speed up probe into rural job scheme complaints

Lucknow: Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Wednesday said that the state govt has appointed ombudsmen in every district to ensure impartial investigation and timely disposal of complaints related to Mahatma Gandhi national rural employment guarantee scheme (MNREGS) works.

Maurya said that any complaint regarding irregularities in the execution of works under the scheme would be taken seriously. He said the primary objective behind appointing district-level ombudsmen is to ensure independent and fair investigations into complaints raised by citizens, workers and public representatives, and to guarantee their resolution within a fixed timeframe.

He said that if any irregularity, corruption or violation of rules is found in MGNREGS works, the ombudsman concerned will conduct a detailed inquiry. Strict action, as per rules, will be taken against officials or employees found guilty, he added.

Maurya also directed officials to ensure that complaints received through the ombudsman mechanism are resolved promptly and that complainants are informed about the progress and outcome of their grievances.

He said the govt’s objective is to ensure that development works carried out under MGNREGS are of high quality and that the benefits of the scheme reach genuine beneficiaries.

He added that the ombudsman system would further strengthen public trust in the implementation of the scheme while improving transparency in rural development works.