Fast flying suspension orders in UP over NREGS funds scam -Governance Now

Fast flying suspension orders in UP over NREGS funds scam

Over 70 officials, including two IAS officers, suspended to check graft in job scheme

Brajesh Kumar | March 31, 2010

NREGA beneficiaries at work

After putting up a brave front on the allegations of corruption and bungling in the implementation of the national employment guarantee scheme in her state, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati has suspended 72 officers accused of irregularities.

This punitive action came on Tuesday - a day after the states’s RD secretary had said UP came second in overall expenditure under the scheme.

However according to the data available with the RD ministry, UP ranked much below other states when it came to spending money available under NREGS.

These suspended officials are among 116 state government employees and elected panchayat chiefs whom the state government intends to bring to justice over the alleged financial bungling in the NREGS, the mail Today reported today. Among those who have been penalised are two IAS officers.

Earlier, when the congress MP from Uttar Pradesh Rahul Gandhi alleged recently that the funds for the state under NREGA was siphoned off, the UP government vehemently rebutted it with the state’s RD secretary on Tuesday saying UP was second in terms of the expenditure of the funds for the scheme.

However, the financial outcome for the scheme for the year 2009-10 ranks UP much below other states in terms of the percentage expenditure (against available funds).

According to the data available for the year, 2009-10 (till January) with the rural development ministry, UP ranks abysmally low on the expenditure chart with the expenditure percentage of 67.7.

18 states and union territories were ranked above UP which spent Rs 4331.0 crore out of Rs 6401 crore available with it.

While Madhya Pradesh came on top with expenditure percentage of 87.7, three northeastern states, Meghalaya (87.3), Mizoram (84.5) and Manipur (80.9) followed closely.

Other states that rank above UP among others are; Andhra Pradesh Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa, Punjab.

Interestingly the figures for the financial outcome were compiled by the states themselves and submitted to the rural development ministry for the performance review meeting that was held in the capital on 18th March.

In the meeting, the rural development minister CP Joshi had lambasted the states at their meagerness in spending the amount allocated for the scheme.

Under the NREGA, 90 % of the amount is funded by the central government and the remaining 10% is filled in by the states.

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