NREGS funds utilised to purchase pesticide in Chhattisgarh

Raipur, Aug 5 (UNI) The Chhattigarh Government has removed a district collector and suspended a Chief Executive Officer of Zila Panchayat for allegedly purchasing pesticides worth about Rs five crore with the funds meant for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).

Official sources said Kanker District Collector G S Dhananjay, nodal officer for the NREGS, has been shifted to the Mantralaya, while zila panchayat CEO K P Dewangan has been suspended after irregularities in implementation of NREGS came to light.

Taking serious note of irregularities in the implementation of the centrally-sponsored scheme, Chief Minister Raman Singh has set up a three-member committee, headed by Commissioner of Employment Guarantee Scheme P C Mishra to conduct an inquiry into the matter.

Sources said the authorities concerned flouted norms and guidelines meant for the NREGS where 60 per cent of the funds have to be utilised for providing wages and remaining 40 per cent could be spent on purchasing materials meant for construction.

However, the funds meant for the NREGS had been diverted for purchasing pesticides worth about Rs five crore.

Mr B P S Netam, who is at present joint secretary in the forest department, has now been posted as Kanker district collector, while Mr R K Tandon has been posted as the new CEO of zila parishad.

This is the first major action by the state government over complaints of irregularities and corruption in centrally-sponsored schemes. There have been reports about corruption in NREGS and Rashtriya Sam Vikas Yojana as most of the works, meant for employment generation and payment of wages, were being carried out through the contractors.

UNI