Balangir collector asked to probe irregularities

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has directed the Balangir collector to probe the alleged irregularities in  implementation of works under MGNREGS. The direction was given following complaints from the villagers of Barla under Turekela police station of Balangir district about non-payment of wages and other irregularities in anganwadi centres. In a petition to the Panchayati Raj Department, Narendra Banchhor and 56 others of the village alleged that Dingar Kanda, a resident of Barla, is a high school teacher. While Kanda is also appointed as ‘Gaon Sathi’ to educate people on the MGNREGS, his wife Rasanta Kanda is an anganwadi worker in the village. Alleging irregular payment of wages under MGNREGS, the petitioners said several villagers, including Chittaman Bariha, Dasmu Hans, Mahan Jued and Rota Deep, have not received their wages for nearly a year. They further alleged that Dingar has misappropriated the wages, due to the labourers, by producing false bills. Several works under the rural job scheme were shown to be taken up without approval of gram sabha and the funds sanctioned for the projects misappropriated. The other allegations against the teacher include misappropriation of funds under Indira Awas Yojana, the rural housing scheme.  The petitioners alleged serious irregularities in the implementation of the Supplementary Nutrition Programme for undernourished children and supply of cooked food to old-age people who have no family support. Claiming that 30 old-age beneficiaries of the village are deprived of the benefits under the welfare programme of the Government, they demanded a special audit into the programme.  The Government has directed the Balangir Collector to inquire into the allegations and submit a report in a week.