Past govts to blame, suspended 23 officials: Sond

Minutes after Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan alleged fraud in the MGNREGA scheme, Punjab Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond said the corruption took place during previous regimes, for which the AAP government had already launched a probe.

Sond said the Punjab Government, under CM Bhagwant Singh Mann, had launched an extensive crackdown, suspending 23 officials linked to MGNREGA irregularities conducted during previous regimes.

Sond said the state had recovered Rs 2 crore from officials involved in corrupt practices. He said a disciplinary action against 10 erring officials had been initiated this year alone.

Sond also appealed to Chouhan to immediately release Rs 250 crore “pending with the Centre “under the MGNREGA scheme”.

Sond said the withheld funds had severely hampered the effective implementation of the programme. Sond also urged Chouhan to revise wages of masons working under the scheme. He said skilled workers in Haryana received Rs 400 per day, but those in Punjab were paid only Rs 346.

On flood relief, Sond said the state government did not receive any money from Rs 1,600 crore relief package promised for the state. “Despite repeated reminders, not a single rupee has been released. This reflects the step-motherly treatment meted out to Punjab by the BJP-led central government,” he said.