Over 230 special teams probed MNREGA graft in states

New Delhi, Aug 31 (PTI) Taking note of rising cases of
financial irregularities in several works done under its
flagship rural employment scheme MNREGA, the Indian government
has sent more than 230 special investigation teams to various
states in the past five years to probe them.
Out of the total of 236, 92 teams of National level
Monitors (NLMs) were sent to central Indian states Uttar
Pradesh followed by 55 to Madhya Pradesh and 21 to eastern
state Bihar between 2006 and March 2011, the Ministry of Rural
Development, which acts as a nodal agency in implementing the
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme, said.
According to the information received in response to an
RTI (Right to Information) query filed by PTI, 17 teams were
sent to western states Gujarat, five to Rajasthan, seven to
eastern states Orissa and five to Chhattisgarh to investigate
and report cases of alleged discrepancies in various parts of
the states.
The reports were either not submitted or awaiting action
in all the cases, it said.
Besides, 10 other cases of gross irregularities were
handed over to the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation)
between 2010-11 to further investigate graft cases in over 100
villages of Orissa, UP, MP, Jharkhand and Rajasthan among
others.
The MoRD had also recommended CBI probe in the murder of
two RTI activists - Niyamat Ansari of Latehar district and
Subal Mahto of Jharkhand this year.
"The state of Jharkhand has been requested to issue
notification under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police
Establishment Act, 1946 consenting for extension of
jurisdiction of CBI to areas in the state for investigation of
offences relating to MNREGA," the Ministry said in reply to
the RTI.

The Rural Development Ministry had sent 85 teams of NLMs
in 2010-11, 63 in 2008-09, 42 in 2009-10, 28 in 2007-08, 10 in
2011-12 and eight in 2006-07.
MNREGA was launched in 2005 to guarantee employment of
minimum 100 days to people living below the poverty line.
According to the RTI reply, three teams of NLMs were sent
to Punjab, two each to Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and West
Bengal and one each to Nagaland, Maharashtra, HP, Kerala and
J-K.
The national level monitors are sent to check complaints
of irregularities in the implementation of scheme which are
serious in nature and are expected to submit their findings
within two months.
Many non-government organisations and individuals have
complained of bunglings in several states in implementation of
the programme.
As per the norms, the investigation of MNREGA graft rest
with the concerned State governments. However, the Ministry
decides to send its special teams in cases where it suspects
large scale corruption.
Giving details of status of pending CBI probe in
Bundelkhand region of UP, Dholpur (Rajasthan), Shahdol and
Badwani districts of MP, Gulbanga and Tumkur districts of
Jharkhand for alleged MNREGA graft, it said that "their
(concerned states) views have been received on April 21, 2011
and the same are under process."
The CBI investigation has been ordered on April 4 this
year in irregularities in the implementation of the programme
in 100 villages spread over six districts of Orissa as per
Supreme Court's directive, it added.