From our Correspondent

NAGAON, March 14: The  National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme was introduced in Nagaon district including Barhampur, Kathiatoli and Khagarijan Development Block under the Barhampur LAC since the year 2007. However, the scheme could not be properly implemented in reality because in the name of the scheme the funds  were only misused right from the zila parishad to the  gaon panchayat and block-level. In other words, corruption is rampant in the name of implementation of the scheme in Nagaon district.

As alleged by the people of the areas who have procured job cards, they have not been benefited from the scheme in the true sense. The aggrieved job card holders have alleged that due to malpractice, rampant corruption and misdeeds of a section of officers, employees of zila parishad and development blocks, panchayat representatives, gaon sabha employees and members of the local ruling party political leaders a lion’s share of the fund allotted is being misused. As a result of this the actual job card holders or the poor people are being  deprived of the  benefits of the ambitious scheme. A section of job card holder people of the concerning areas have also alleged that in the name of implementing  the scheme in most places a few job card holders have been provided jobs and 80 per cent were fake job card holders.  

In fact very less work have been done under the scheme and  the ambitious NREGA scheme has become a farce in Nagaon.The deprived job card holders along with a conscious section of the society has  urged the government to conduct an inquiry through the CBI to unearth the actual picture.