Nitish govt conducting fraud in name of NREGA: Raghuvansh

New Delhi, Apr 10 (UNI) Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh today charged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with conducting ''fraud'' in the name of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme and said the state has absymally failed in delivering the results under the ambitious programme.

''Nitish fraud kar rahen hain. Achcha kam trick, chalaki ya fareb se nahin hota hai (Nitish is doing a fraud in the name of NREGA. Good work is done not by trick, cunningness or fraud),'' Dr Singh told reporters here.

Pointing out that when the Centre announced to implement NREGA in 23 districts of Bihar, Mr Kumar announced that his government would implement it in the remaining 15 districts. ''However, he has failed to implement the NREGA even in the 23 district,'' Dr Singh said and added that the financial performance of the state government under NREGA has revealed that just 27 per cent money made available has been utilised.

In many places even the Panchayat Sevak has not been appointed, BDOs posts have remained vacant and for the post of Panchayat Sevak the state government has issued forms for which it is charging Rs 500, which is exploitation of unemployed youth. He said he has written over 150 letters to the state government but it has failed to respond.

Asked about implementation of the Programme in his own district Vaishali, Dr Singh said due to constant reminder, it was a better performing district in the state but a lot remained to be desired.

He said at many places adequate number of job cards have not been made available leading to resentment among people.

Regarding Mr Kumar's charge that the Rural Development Minister being from RJD was deliberating trying to malign his government, Dr Singh said it was not the case he lauded the performance of the BJP government in Bihar and the initiative shown by the newly elected Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) government in Punjab.

Among the better performing states in NREGP, the Minister said that Asom, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and some North Eastern states have done quite well by utilising the finances provided under the Programme.

However, the exact assessment could be done only after an entire cycle of lean period passed off. However, reduction in migration from rural areas of Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh indicate that the programme was being implemented well in these states, he added.

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