Karnataka - Bidar   

Job scheme: withholding of payments opposed

Bidar: Many zilla panchayat members protested against the decision of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister, Jagadish Shettar, to withhold payment for works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act till an inquiry concluded whether there were irregularities in its implementation, at a general body meeting here on Monday.

During his recent visit, the Minister ordered a high-level inquiry into allegations of irregularities in implementing the scheme and instructed the officials to withhold payments till the inquiry was completed. This was in response to the complaint by Ishwar Khandre, Congress MLA, that 80 per cent of works under the MNREGA were bogus.

At the meeting, president of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Baburao Biradar, said Mr. Khandre was politicising the issue. He denied Mr. Khandre's allegations and said the Bhalki MLA had no right to talk about the whole district. “He should have spoken only about his constituency,” Mr. Biradar said. He alleged that some of Mr. Khandre's relatives were involved in irregularities under the MNREGA and he was trying to protect them.

Chandrashekar Patil Mudbi, ZP member, said that by making such allegations Mr. Khandre was trying to discredit the Government and create a sense of resentment among farm labourers. All the BJP members supported the two members.

Zilla panchayat president Kushal Patil Gadagi said payment would be withheld only in places where there were allegations of corruption.

Zilla panchayat chief executive officer Jitendra Naik said booking criminal cases against officials involved in irregularities.

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Job scheme: withholding of payments opposed

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