Gujarat: Two including MNREGA official suspended for siphoning off funds to tune of Rs 18L for 21 ‘fake projects’

Dahod DRDA Director BM Patel told The Indian Express that following an inquiry into a complaint received linked to the MGNREGA scheme from Lavariya village, it came to light that the technical assistant had forged documents to show bogus projects that were not present on the ground.

“We found 21 projects were bogus and did not exist while a grant of Rs 18.41 lakh has been siphoned in the guise of the projects… The Technical Assistant and the Gram Rozgar Sevak (GRS) — both contractual employees — have been suspended with immediate effect and the TDO has been asked to lodge a police complaint…” Patel said.

The DRDA order, dated October 7, states that a complaint had been received by the office of the DRDA Commissioner in Gandhinagar stating that about 79 works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in Lavariya village had been shown as completed on the portal and payments for the material expenditure as well as labour costs for the same were shown as paid when the projects did not exist on the ground.

The order states that on calling for the files of the works under question, 21 projects were found to be bogus.

“The report submitted by the TDO of Devgarh Bariya states that the projects were undertaken during the tenure of technical assistant Manish Patel and GRS Kanti Bariya. A total of 21 works shown as completed were not carried out on the ground and Rs 18.41 lakhs embezzled as part of the financial fraud…” the order states.

Patel told The Indian Express that the projects included construction of check dams and cattle sheds among other rural development schemes.

“The Taluka Development Officer has been asked to lodge a first information report against the accused for embezzling government funds. We are in the process of gathering the details of each of the financial transactions in order to furnish the same information to the police,” Patel added.