Kalikapur (East Singhbhum), Dec. 12: Irregularities in the implementation of the Centre's rural job scheme has meant that this village of over 500 people at Potka block is on the brink of starvation.
Barely 45km from the steel city, not one resident of Kalikapur has a job card or a bank account, a lacunae that seems to have been put to good use by an unscrupulous contractor, who has allegedly withdrawn funds for projects that are nowhere near completion.
Most residents of Kalikapur rely on agriculture for sustenance. Poor rain and the complete inefficacy of MGNREGS as a means of earning have made it a particularly bad year for them.
" Khana kharidne ke liye paisa nahin hain. Thoda bacha kucha sabji aur chawal hain. Iss baar kheti khub kharab hua hain. Prashashan aur humare panchayat padhikari ke udashinta ke chalte hamein rojgar bhi nahin mila, kaam bhi nahin hua par paisa nikasi ho gaya (We don't have money to buy food. We have little rice left, and some vegetables. This year's paddy harvest has been very poor. Because of the callousness of the administration and our elected panchayat representatives, we couldn't earn a living. No MGNERGS work happened and now all the funds have vanished)," said Parisan Sardar.
The damning indictment of panchayat leaders has had a repercussion on the ongoing panchayat polls, the fourth and last phase of voting of which was held in various districts today.
Sitting zilla parishad member Dukhnimoy Sardar admitted they were faced with a serious crisis. Most importantly, she said she was ready to take responsibility, too.
"I raised the matter before East Singhbhum deputy development commissioner and was assured of a probe. I do not know the fate of the probe. I admit my failure and, therefore, I have not contested the elections this time," Sardar said.
At the core of Kalikapur's misery is the alleged defalcation of over Rs 11 lakh in two MGNREGS projects.
A 2km road from Dorkasai Main Road to Lakdagora, around 6km from Kalikapur panchayat headquarters, was to be built and work sanctioned under MGNREGS in fiscal 2012-13 for Rs 11.46 lakh. The work never began, but Rs 5 lakh was withdrawn by contractor Anand Sardar.
A pond was to be built in the same village on land belonging to one Fudan Sardar in 2013-14 under MGNREGS at an estimated cost of Rs 16.6 lakh. But so far, only a pit has been dug, that too with the help of a machine. No villager was engaged in the work. Yet, Rs 7.13 lakh was allegedly withdrawn by the same contractor.
As per data fed in the district's management information system (MIS), the contractor claims that both projects were nearing completion.
"The villagers have been cheated. They neither possess job cards, nor have accounts. But money has been withdrawn from the treasury using fraudulent means by the contractor," alleged Potka resident and RTI activist Dinesh Mahto.
According to MGNREGS norms, a job card-holder is entitled to get Rs 162 for work done in a day. "If we had a job card and received our MGNREGS wages, we would have been able to sustain ourselves. We have spoken to officials in the administration, our mukhiya and members of our zilla parishad. So far, all we have got from them is assurance of a probe," said Sonaram Bhumij, a resident of neighbouring Dorkasai village.
Folinder Sardar (40), elder brother of Parisan, however, said they had been assured by all the four mukhiya nominees of this election that if elected, they would take up their cause earnestly and ensure employment and wages as per MGNREGS.
" Is liye hum aaj vote dene gaye the (This is the reason why voted today)," said Folinder (40) outside his booth at Dorkasai Utkramit Madhya Vidyalaya in Kalikapur panchayat.
East Singhbhum deputy development commissioner Binod Kumar Singh said a probe had been conducted by district director of ITDA (integrated tribal development agency) Parmeshwar Bhagat.
"We are going through his report... we will take action on the basis of the report. I will ask the villagers to meet me personally to get their job cards," he said.
