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Social audit reveals large-scale fraud

JAIPUR: An exhaustive social audit of the much talked about National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in Jhalawar district of Rajasthan has revealed large-scale fraud in material supplies, extortion of money for job cards, dead people registered on muster rolls, and lack of transparency in the execution of works.

However, the implementation of the NREG Act has led to an impressive employment generation in Manohar Thana tehsil of the district, according to a parallel survey undertaken by a research team from the G. B. Pant Social Science Institute, Allahabad.

The social audit, carried out by the Rozgar Evum Suchana Ka Adhikar Abhiyan, covered five panchayats in Manohar Thana block – Manpasar, Banskheda, Jawar, Awalhera and Banskhedi.

The findings were presented at a “Jan Sunwai” (public hearing) on the Krishi Mandi premises at Manohar Thana over the weekend before thousands of villagers in the presence of prominent social activists and academicians. The State Government was conspicuous by its absence at the daylong event.

The social audit’s conclusions provided an answer as to why the village Sarpanches had earlier resisted the documents from being made public and adopted violent means to stop the appraisal exercise. The social audit teams were attacked and chased out of three villages in a show of unrestrained violence on February 3.

An embezzlement amounting to Rs.14.78 lakh in material supplies relating to 15 different employment guarantee works in 14 villages of the five panchayats was established at the public hearing.

Central Employment Guarantee Council members Aruna Roy, Jean Dreze and Annie Raja as well as the Technical Inspector, Central Vigilance Commission, Vijay Kumar, were present on the occasion. Speakers at the meeting repeatedly referred to the State Government’s absence and wondered if it was deliberate.

In an obvious indication to the across-the-board lack of transparency, it was pointed out that there were no boards displaying details of the ongoing works sighted anywhere. In Bakani village of Gorband panchayat, five dead persons were found on the muster rolls. Muster rolls were fabricated in Awalhera panchayat with the names of all the members of the Sarpanch’s family filled in.

A scam in pots for providing water to labourers also came to light. While it was shown that many pots had been ordered, women testified that there were no pots on the sites and they had to bring water in plastic cans.

Besides, Rs.70 to Rs.500 were “charged” for issuing job cards in Punyakheri village. Dalits were especially being targeted and they were either denied job cards or being asked to pay up to Rs.1,000 for making them.

Panellist Annie Raja termed the instances of demanding money for making job cards a “terrible violation” of NREGA. Social activist Aruna Roy said the strict vigilance through public hearing would always expose corruption and added that truth being brought to light would strengthen democracy.

Noted economist Jean Dreze laid emphasis on ensuring that the Central guidelines on NREGA were followed and cautioned that there were vested interests trying to rubbish the programme on the grounds that all the money allotted under the scheme was going down the drain.

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