Nitish: Stern steps

Patna, Jan. 21: Nitish Kumar today asked the district magistrates to observe one day in a week as “MNREGA Divas” following the detection of large-scale irregularities in the implementation of government schemes for the poor during his Seva Yatra.

The chief minister, now in the last leg of the first phase of the yatra that will conclude at his home district of Nalanda tomorrow, has initiated stern measures to rein in those sabotaging rural welfare schemes — particularly the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY). Yesterday, the government ordered the confiscation of the property of a middleman for appropriating IAY funds in Araria district.

Ahead of leaving for Nalanda today, Nitish turned his attention on MNREGA and shifted the onus on the district magistrates to ensure its proper implementation. “Corruption in the MNREGA has to be checked. You (all the DMs) must devote an entire day in a week to review MNREGA implementation,” he said.

MNREGA — the pet scheme of Congress president Sonia Gandhi that ensures 100 days of employment in a year to rural workers — is potentially an explosive issue. Nitish is aware that irregularities in the implementation of the scheme that involves a large majority of the rural workforce could pose a threat to his government’s image in the hinterlands.

Nitish encountered a host of complaints about irregularities in MNREGA in almost all the districts he visited during his Seva Yatra.

Nitish suggested to the DMs the manner in which they should implement the scheme. “You (DMs) have to inspect its (MNREGA’s) implementation at the micro-level. You have to maintain an account of funds sanctioned and work done in each and every panchayat of your respective district. Make it a point not to reveal your inspection plan until an hour ahead of doing it, involve your confidential section,” he said.

The chief minister was reviewing the schemes of Patna district. But he gave his direction to all DMs in Bihar.

Nitish suggested that the DMs send the letters to the officials through his/her confidential section so that they (officials) can’t have information about their proposed visit. “These officials would inspect the scheme and check how many projects have been sanctioned and what is their progress and if payments to labourers have been made. They would match the list of beneficiaries with that of the muster roll and finally submit a report to the DM who would take action against culprits and lodge an FIR,” he said.

The inquiry of every scheme in each panchayat along with social audit would be completed within four months, he said.

The chief minister expressed concern on Patna being at the bottom of the ladder vis-à-vis performance of the mid-day meal scheme while it ranked 26th in the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

“If there is illiteracy in Patna, then where can we expect education,” he said. Nitish has set the first week of April as the deadline for the health and education departments to improve their performance.