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.”

Bhuchhad sarpanch Raman Vasava, however, denied the allegation. “We had asked a few women to do some repairing on the road between Bhuchhad and the village pond,” he said.

Rajni Vasava, the talati of the same village, said: “We offered work to the labourers, but they failed to do what we asked them to do.”

Arvind Vasava of the same village said, “Ramanbhai was interested in making use of earthmovers than us. We were not entertained.”

When inquired about the non-implementation of NREGA in his village, PD Vasava, refused to comment.

On being asked the same question, Harshad Vasava said it is his responsibility to see if NREGA is being taken up properly in his village and that he will see to it.

Elsewhere at Hajapura village of Narmada district, a group of villagers from Tekri Faliya went to District Collector R M Patel to complain about their sarpanch, who used earthmovers instead of employing them. “The order was given to join the road of Tekri Faliya and the main Hajarpura road. However, the sarpanch, Ram Vasava, made a road that connects Hajarpura mainroad to his village as per his convenience. This is despite the fact that the matter was discussed in the gram sabha,” said Jagdish Vasava of the village.

Another villager, Kanti Vasava, said, “The situation of our road is bad. We are totally cut off from the other village during monsoon. The gutters are also open. The gram sabha had decided to repair the road, but it did not work. This monsoon too, our children would not be able to go to school, which is around a kilometre from the village.”

Meanwhile, Rama Vasava said: “The villagers are not capable of doing the work. We want development so we used earthmovers. We have to compromise somewhere.”