Locals raise a stink,officer says no probe

According to NREGS records,60 labourers have been paid a total of Rs 2.5 lakh in the past four months for work on a string of projects. But villagers claim the work,job cards and the payments remain just on paper.

“I am a farmer. I have 50 bighas of land. I am myself looking for labourers to work on my farm. But I found out I am an NREGS labourer and that I have received more than Rs 600 for work during the past four months,” said Dharmsinh Moradiya.

Most of the 60 persons,who according to the muster have worked and are being paid under NREGS,say they do not hold a job card.

“Many of them were allegedly asked to receive money in their Indira Awas Yojana or Co-operative bank accounts by the panchayat leaders,who later made them withdraw the amount on their behalf,” said Shailesh Sanghani,a volunteer who along with Abbas Ladhani did a door-to-door survey to expose the scam.

“Gram panchayat member Vinod Chavda asked me to allow him to use my Indira Awas Yojana account as he could not receive all the money meant for the village development in his account. About Rs 4,000 were deposited in my account,which I withdrew and gave him thinking it was meant for some development work. Later,I learnt that as per NREGS records,that money was being paid to me to work as labourer,” said Manuben Kanjibhai.

Locals have pointed fingers at sarpanch Jyotsana Surani and her husband Ganesh.

In another instance,one Jayesh Oghad,who has a automobile parts shop in Samakhiyali,holds a job card (number 71387),according to the muster,and has been paid Rs 534.

Similarly,Prabodh Ratilal,a dairy owner in Morbi,has been “paid” Rs 534. His wife Alkaben too has been paid the same amount. Their job card number is 73185.

Nayna Savji has been working at Ajanta Quartz for three years now. But she too has been “paid” Rs 534.

The matter came to light when Naresh Boricha,a member of Taluka Resource Group,which is responsible for conducting social audits,lodged a complaint through NREGS helpline on November 20 that local authorities have denied him access to the muster,which is a must for an audit. The NREGS coordinator intervened following which he was provided with the muster.

Boricha contacted local volunteers like Sanghani and Ladhani to check if those whose names are listed in the muster have worked and been paid. It was revealed that all the job cards existed only on paper.

The locals,who vouch that no work has been done on the ground,reported the matter to assistant taluka development officer K D Bhagora in a gram sabha held on November 29,but in vain.

Maliya Miyana taluka development officer A J Solanki ruled out possibility of any probe. When contacted,he said,“Allegations are baseless. It’s a political fallout. There is no need for any kind of inquiry,” said Solanki.