Random 5 pc of EGS muster rolls to be checked

The reports had concentrated on Thane while exposing the corruption in the state’s jobs-for-work programme meant to be a lifeline for poor families. Over 14,000 EGS works were implemented in Thane in 2004-05, claiming payments of over Rs 92 crore as wages.

State Chief Information Commissioner Suresh Joshi—he wrote to the EGS Department yesterday saying the probe should go beyond the cases reported by the paper—confirmed that the order issued by EGS Secretary Rameshchandra Kanade had reached him. ‘‘The government will also probe any work before October, 2005 if there is a complaint to the collector or the EGS Department. I am looking at this carefully,’’ he said.

In muster rolls of EGS road works drawn up by the Public Works Department, the paper had found fake payments—even to the dead—and government officials entrusted with its implementation flouting rules governing the Rs 1,228-crore scheme, especially public access to work documents.

However, Patil’s announcements aren’t evoking much confidence on the ground. Shiraz Prabhu of Thane-based Kashtakari Sangathana, mobilising villagers who want EGS work, said: ‘‘We would like an independent judicial enquiry into the forged rolls. An inter-departmental probe always ends in a cover-up.’’

Maharashtra’s 28-year-old EGS has inspired the Centre to launch the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme—the first phase will roll out in February across 200 districts, including 12 in Maharashtra, spending Rs 17,600 crore.

Patil admitted that muster rolls were easy to manipulate: ‘‘We are considering whether payments can be made directly into bank accounts through the post office for the national and state schemes.’’

When pointed out that the 1982 rule about public access to muster rolls, and its display at the worksite, meant nothing on the ground, he said: ‘‘It will have to be followed. Also, with the Right to Information Act, no government official can refuse sharing information.’’

When pointed out that the 1982 rule about public access to muster rolls, and its display at the worksite, meant nothing on the ground, he said: ‘‘It will have to be followed. Also, with the Right to Information Act, no government official can refuse sharing information.’’

EGS Ministerspeak

• Thane Collector N Jantre has been asked to seal all muster rolls. I am also going to visit these talukas shortly

• In the coming days, teams of officials will go to villages and check the works. All the names and payments that appear on the musters will be cross-checked with the villagers (he said this after examining copies of musters obtained through the Right to Information Act by the Express)

• The probe won’t limit itself to works reported in the Express. A random 5 per cent of the works will be checked.