MGNREGA scam unearthed in Dhakuakhana P&RD Minister's constituency

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: At a time when the implementation of almost all the developmental activities are in an unexpected halt due to the adverse affect of COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing lockdown, a scam in connection with the defalcation and misappropriation of fund meant for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has been unearthed in Dhakuakhana, the constituency of Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Naba Kumar Doley. The alleged scam has jolted the subdivisional administration after three persons, on behalf of the people of a village submitted a memorandum to the SDO (Civil) demanding probe against it.

According to the memorandum, submitted by Rajib Pegu, Sonit Pegu, Apel Doley and Deni Pegu on behalf of the people of Dodabari village under the subdivision, a person named Nityananda Pegu, resident of Kekuri Kothalguri village, who is the spouse of a former Ward Member of Dangdhara Gaon Panchayat, already withdrew the wage of MGNREGA job card holders by opening fake bank accounts. In order to misappropriate the funds of the schemes concerned, the person used manipulated job cards against genuine job card holders and thus he opened fake bank accounts. Then he withdrew the credited cash from those accounts by depositing cheque or using ATM cards. It is also alleged that the person got hold of the money by pasting the photograph of one job card holder on another job card.

Moreover, in the same memorandum, it was also alleged that the person had also been defalcating the credited funds of PMAY, sanitation schemes, widow pensions of a lots of beneficiaries under Dangdhara GP by opening fake bank accounts on their name taking the advantage of their simplicity and ignorance for a long time. On the other hand, he has been hoarding in his residential complex a good amount of materials used in the construction of Individual Household Latrines (IHL) under sanitation schemes, after getting them released from the PHE office concerned. Though the IHLs of the beneficiaries under the Dodabari village were constructed as recorded in the files of the departmental office concerned, the physical existence of most of these IHLs are not available in the village. Under such circumstances, the people of the village submitted the memorandum demanding the due probe against the alleged scams of the person.

Regarding the issue, while contacted, SDO (Civil) of Dhakuakhana, Arindam Baruah informed The Sentinel that he had brought the complaint under utmost consideration.

"An enquiry will be declared very soon against the alleged scam. Moreover, an enquiry by the CEO of Lakhimpur Zila Parishad is underway at present in order to find out the fake job cards. These enquiries will bring the corrupt persons into light," the SDO (Civil) added.