Admn removes pavers laid in violation of Centre rules

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, December 6

About five months after an inquiry by MGNREGA director found many irregularities in the utilisation of funds various development works in Faridkot under the MGNREGA scheme, a Union Government-notified employment programme, the district administration has started removing the interlock pavers in some villages, where these were laid in contravention of rules and regulations.

A team of senior officers, including the ADC, the BDPO and district manager of the MGNREGA, on Friday evening reached Jhotiwala village of Faridkot to remove the pavers on about 800- feet street in the village that was paved early this year.

It is alleged that instead of giving benefit to the people at large, the work was done in a manner to benefit a single house in the village, who is said to support the Congress. These pavers were laid in a hush-hush manner, without creating a well-compacted and stable base and there was no proper bedding of sand, which was necessary to provide final leveling properties and help secure the pavers in place. In July this year, a team of the MGNREGA, led by its Director, had visited Faridkot to probe the allegations of irregularities and misuse of MGNREGA funds.

In a complaint to the Union Ministry of Rural Development, it was alleged that there were many cases of use of the MGNREGA funds on individual’s land in Faridkot. It was alleged in the complaint that there was violation of many rules and regulations during the execution of the works. Rather than engaging private contractors for the execution of works under the MGNREGA scheme, more funds were used on purchase of material than providing employment to the poor engaged as labourers under the scheme. It was alleged that MGNREGA funds were “spent exuberantly” in Machaki Kalan, Sadiq, Quila Nau, Bhana, Tehna, Golewala and Pakhi Kalan villages while not a single job card was issued in Jhotiwala, Bholuwala and Deep Singh Wala villages as the panchayats elected in these villages did not owe their allegiance to the ruling Congress party. Faridkot ADC Paramjit Kaur did not respond to repeated phone calls from Bathinda Tribune.