MLCs highlight ‘corruption’ in Panchayati Raj department

Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 1

The PDP-BJP coalition today faced a tough time in the Upper House after the legislators cutting across party lines raised the issue of “high-level of corruption” in the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department.

The legislators pointed out “gross irregularities” in the functioning of the department and said people had to grease the palms of officers and village-level workers (VLWs) to get their payments released from the department.

They also highlighted the issue of the prevailing “commission system”, saying that it was ruining the administrative set-up of the department.

The issue of corruption was raised by the legislators while participating in a discussion on the working of the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department in the Legislative Council here.

“No amount is released for works completed under the MGNREGA or other schemes without paying 40 per cent commission to officers concerned at the block level. Village-level workers own big bungalows and it needs to be probed from where the money is coming. The ‘commission system’ is ruling the roost in the department,” BJP legislator Vibod Gupta said.

Sham Lal Bhagat, sarpanch-turned-legislator of the Congress said the government should make it mandatory for the VLWs to submit annual property returns (APRs) to know as to how they have become multi-millionaires.

Jugal Kishore Sharma, another Congress legislator, highlighted the fake job cards prepared by some sarpanches and panches to draw money under the MGNREGA scheme in their names.

Firdous Ahmed Tak of the PDP said, “The rural development has become a personal department for VLWs and there are block development officers who have been paying salaries on a monthly basis to political activists. It needs to be inquired as to how they are earning this money to pay political activists.”

Another PDP legislator Surinder Choudhary alleged, “The contractors pay nearly 40 per cent commission to VLWs and BDOs, which is adversely affecting the quality of development works. Out of the remaining 60 per cent amount, the contractors save some for themselves and use the rest for works allotted to them. Besides, some sarpanches and panches have become contractors”.

Qaiser Jamsheed, National Conference legislator, said the commission system was the biggest challenge for the government and it should take immediate steps to curb the menace.

In his reply, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Abdul Haq Khan said that efforts were being taken to improve the functioning of the department at the grass-roots level besides ensuring complete transparency and accountability at all levels.

He said all panchayats would use computers in order to ensure effective implementation of the electronic fund management system. Six training Institutes were being established for imparting training to the Panchayati Raj members.