Village chief alleges NREGS fund misuse by BDO
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 07 2011: Nehkhojang Haokip, who claimed to be chief of Khullen Khailet village under Chakpikarong Block of chandel district accused Block Development Officer (BDO) P Sana Singh of misappropriating MGNREGS fund amounting to Rs 10.50 lakhs.

The accused officer is said to have been recently transferred to Tamenglong district.

speaking to newspersons at Manipur Press Club today, Nehkhojang, who is also chairman of Khullen Khailet village authority, claimed that out of 60 NREGS job card holders for the year 2011-12 wage for 30 days and 20 days material component have been distributed to only 26 job card holders.

Moreover, against the 30 days wage entitlement amounting to Rs 3780 each for the 26 beneficiaries only Rs 1600 each have been paid, the village chief contended adding that apart from Rs 2180 denied to each of the 26 job card holders totalling Rs 56,680 the SDO amassed another sum of Rs 1,28,520 which were supposed to be distributed to the other job card holders.

In his capacity as the Programme Officer of MGNREGS/Chakpikarong the SDO allegedly misappropriated fund for material component amounting to Rs 1,00,800, according to Nehkhojang who further claimed that P Sana somehow managed to obtain signatures of most of the job card holders in the form of APR in addition to recording in the registration book that the job card holders had received the wage amount for 30 days.

The SDO is also accused of deducting Rs 150 from each of the job card holders of Chakpikarong Block as Hill House Tax for a three year period inspite of the fact that most of the villagers had already cleared the said tax.

While pointing out that yearly amount of Hill House Tax is only Rs 15 per household which for three years amount to Rs 45, the village chief opined that with about 7000 job card holders registered under Chakpikarong Block the total sum collected by the SDO is to the tune of Rs 10.50 lakhs.

Further revealing that during an enquiry launched by the village authority it came to light that the SDO had colluded with some individuals with vested interest in misappropriating the MGNREGS fund meant for the villagers, Nehkhojang urged the Government to initiate an investigation on the conduct of the SDO so that the noble scheme of the Central Government benefit the targeted section of the society.

P Sana Singh has a history of bad record after promotion as SDO which can be corroborated from the fact that he has been transferred and posted everywhere but did not serve for even a year in a single place of posting, the chairman claimed and informed that the SDO has been transferred from Chakpikarong after only two months of posting.

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