In tribal district of Narmada, 150 village sarpanchs have been issued notices for failing to offer jobs under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) for 2009-10. Although the villagers had demanded work, the sarpanchs denied and opted for mechanised labour.

According to the District Rural Development Authority (DRDA), which has begun an inquiry into the deliberate non-implementation of the NREGA, one of the reasons is that the sarpanchs were unable to ensure their illegal “share” in NREGA wages to labourers due to the direct mode of payment through bank accounts.

Incidentally, one of the villages, Bhuchhad, is Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) vice president P D Vasava’s native village. Sundarpura, the native village of BJP legislator Harshad Vasava, has also been issued a notice by the district authorities. Vasava was recently appointed as Parliament Secretary for Tribal Affairs by the state government.

A C Rathod, a Narmada DRDA official, said: “We prepare a monthly estimate for each and every village, which is included in the annual report. The gram panchayats estimate work under NREGA and they themselves decide how many labourers should be roped in for respective works. However, they failed to follow the targets set by themselves to 70 per cent.”

To reduce corruption, the wages are paid through bank accounts of each labourer, said Rathod. As the sarpanchs could not ensure their share, they decided not to give work to the labourers at all, he said.

Meanwhile, R G Gamit, Nanod Taluka Development Officer, said: “We have issued notices to sarpanchs who have failed to meet the monthly deadlines. They have also used earthmovers instead of engaging villagers eager to work, which is not allowed.”

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