The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Audit exposes loose ends in job scheme

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 01, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Audit exposes loose ends in job scheme

Special Correspondent

Physically challenged persons being kept out, say sources

VILLUPURAM: Social audit of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, now in progress in five blocks of the district, has brought to light loose ends in the scheme. It covers receipt of applications, maintenance of muster rolls and disbursement of wages. The audit, being conducted by National Employment Guarantee Council-trained volunteers, aims at removing discrepancies and providing guaranteed jobs to the rural populace for 100 days a year.

Sources said the muster rolls carried inflated figures in terms of the workforce employed and man-days created. To cite an example, at least 75 persons at Chinnanerkunam had filled in the same name in the column given for ‘father’s name’. A group of influential persons whiling away their time at the worksites were receiving full wages.

Out of reckoning

Requests of the physically challenged for inclusion in the scheme had fallen on deaf ears. For instance, 11 of them were kept out at Nallavur in Mayilam block. Such reckless attitude went against the spirit of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. If they were not capable of doing manual work, they could at least be assigned clerical work, such as maintenance of muster rolls, the sources said.

The local bodies were not putting up notices detailing the works undertaken, number of workers employed and funds allotted.

New payment mode

District Collector Brajendra Navnit, in the meanwhile, has modified the payment mode. Even those working for two or three days in the seven-week schedule would now be paid wages.

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