Dead men drawing MGNREGA wage

Kendrapara (Odisha), July 20: Dead persons have come alive to draw wages from accounts under MGNREGA in some areas of Kendrapara district.

Some people who are no more, still figure in the muster rolls and wage remuneration was drawn against their names, district officials said.

"The administration has received reports of MGNREGA wage payment to beneficiaries who are dead. The matter is being investigated. With irregularities coming to the fore, administrative enquiry has been ordered," said Kendrapara District Collector Debraj Senapati.

Upendranath Behera of Bankeswar village under Singiri gram panchayat of Aul block worked for 30 days under MGNREGA. He was paid Rs 3000 that were deposited in his account recently.

But Behera died on August 12, 2006, officials said. Behera's case is not alone. The same is case for Kalinidi Rout, Durga Charan Mallik and Pitambar Lenka.

Not only money has been fraudulently drawn against the dead, but there has been rampant misuse of funds by way of enlisting ghost beneficiaries and fake muster rolls, rights activist Gayadhar Dhal alleged.

This needs to be enquired and the people involved in the irregularity should be put behind the bars, he said. The Collector said other forms of misuse of central funds like fake muster roll and undeserving job-card holders had also come to the notice.

"Action will be initiated against the offenders after legal technicalities of enquiry are over. The sum fraudulently withdrawn would be recovered from unworthy recipients and beneficiaries under Orissa Public Recovery of Debt Act," said Senapati.

PTI