The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Job scheme not implemented properly

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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Job scheme not implemented properly

Special Correspondent

CAG report accuses State Government of laxity
Delay in payment of wages amounting to Rs. 4.51 crore

BANGALORE: The implementation of the Karnataka Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has suffered owing to laxity on part of the State Government in preparatory procedures, non-distribution of job cards and non-provision of envisaged employment to the registered households.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in its report on the Panchayat Raj Institutions has stated that there was delay in the payment of wages to labourers. Basic documents such as Employment Register were not maintained in many taluk panchayats, it said.

Delay in payment

Stating that there were instances of execution of inadmissible works, the CAG said there was delay in payment of wages amounting to Rs. 4.51 crore, non-adherence to list of priority works, excess expenditure on materials (Rs. 1.45 crore) than admissible, irregular utilisation of machineries in execution leading to denial of employment (1.75 lakh mandays) to labourers in rural areas, it said.

The scheme was launched in 2005 with to provide 100 days of guaranteed employment to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled labour.

The State Government delayed notifying the scheme guaranteeing employment and constitution of the State Employment Guarantee Council. The district perspective plan for five years, shelf of projects and labour budgets for the year 2006-07 were not prepared in the test conducted zilla panchayats, as required.

The release of State share of funds was not uniform. Similarly, the release of funds for the implementation of the scheme was not commensurate with the job cards issued and projected expenditure on wages, the report said.

As of December 2007, the failure of District Programme coordinator, Zilla Panchayat of Gulbraga, to furnish the utilisation certificates resulted in non-release of funds by both Central and State Governments for the implementation of the scheme during 2007-08.

The programme officers at the taluk panchayats did not maintain basic records which led to incorrect reporting of funds/utlisation/ achievements. Monitoring mechanism was ineffective and inadequate, the report added.

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