NEWS PUBLISHED IN BIHAR TIMES Jobs for the rural poor remains a distant dream in Bihar, never mind the impression the state government wants to project otherwise. A CAG report tabled in the state Assembly has stated that the Centre-sponsored Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) is dogged by massive irregularities, financial anomalies and corruption in Bihar. According to the report, only 35 percent of the 1.34 crore registered households got employment between 2007 and 2012. Among the employed, only 28 per cent were women, against the stipulated 35 per cent. A performance audit showed that Bihar was denied a grant of Rs 9,684.24 crore during 2007-12 in the form of central share due to creation of less number of man days, sharp increase in demand for funds without sufficient justification and unspent balance grant. The flagship employment generation programme failed to make its mark as “only 1 per cent to 7 per cent household were provided 100 days employment against the mandate for providing at least 100 days work to each job card holder” the report highlighted. The report also detected that a single household managed to get multiple job cards, in violation of rules. In a test check, it was found that at least 26 per cent of the cards were without photographs in a sample of 1,997 household. The report was prepared after conducting surveys in 319 units in 15 districts, 54 blocks and 250 gram panchayats for the period ending March 31, 2012. The report said there was a decreasing trend in providing jobs under the scheme from 75 per cent in 2007-08 to 20 per cent in 2011-12.
Posted on: Sun, 04 Aug 2013 13:07:13 +0000
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