PLAINTS NOT HEARD, VENAL OFFICIALS GO SCOT FREE

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Saturday, 09 December 2017 |  | NUAPADA | in Bhubaneswar

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Despite repeated complaints on irregularities in the MGNREGS funds by the local tribal inhabitants in the Nuapada district, the administration continues to lend a deaf ear.
“Why the district administration does not act against corruption,” asked Lakhman Majhi of Talakot village in Nuapada district. Lakhman had drawn attention of the BDO of Sinapali block last year repeatedly using grievance redressal mechanism of NREGS requesting an inquiry into the misappropriation of about Rs 87 lakh, but to no avail. 
People of the village by performing social audit of three projects implemented under the NREGS in their village had found that Rs 2.87 lakh had been misappropriated.
 “There is a mention of a work named improvement of road from Talakot Bhansipada to Chachrapada in NREGA website with an expenditure of Rs 1,88,964 on wage payment, but the work has not been done,” Laxman revealed.
The officials, who misappropriated the funds, are confident that no one can cause any harm to them as the money they misappropriated was shared by officials from top to the bottom.
People of Bhainsadani village of Boden block still remember how their complaint of misappropriation of funds worth Rs 12 lakh under NREGS in Patdarha plateau remained unheard of even after directions from the State authorities. The online information of NREGS reflected that a total of eight works were done between 2007-08 and 2011-12 in Patdarha village which is located on the Patdarha plateau. However, only two out of the eight works had been done.
The then MLA of Khariar had also written a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The Private Secretary to the Chief Minister had noted in the petition of the MLA for an inquiry. The Director Special Project had also asked for an inquiry.
But there was no immediate step. The instructions in this way rolled from the Special Secretary to the Additional Secretary and then to the district Collector for initiating the inquiry. The district Collector instructed the Project Director (PD) of the DRDA to take step. The PD sent a letter to the BDO. The BDO formed a team under the leadership of Assistant Engineer of the Panchayat Samiti and instructed the team by writing to conduct the inquiry. In this way, it took two months for the team to be constituted but still the inquiry was not done.
After an inquiry on allegations of funds bungling under GGY scheme in Kotenchuan panchayat of Nuapada block, the DRDA confirmed that there was bungling of funds of about Rs 2 lakh, but no action was taken against the officials who had been found guilty.
Misappropriation of Rs1.42 crore under the14th CFC and 4th SFC in Parkod, Beltukri and Bhalesar GPs of Nuapada block became a non-issue. The Panchayat Executives (PEOs) of those panchayats, who misappropriated the fund, have gone scot-free.

Balakrushna Sabar, a tribal leader and Chairman of Khariar Panchayat Samiti, had drawn the attention of the Collector and the PD, DRDA, Nuapada, a few months ago about the high amount of bribe taken by the JE and the Assistant Engineer of Chakotia Bhunjia Development Agency working for the development of Chakotia tribe of Sunabeda plateau. The district authority is yet to initiate any step.

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