By Farooq Ganai, NAK
Jammu : As India celebrates second anniversary of `flagship programme’ National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), on Saturday, in state of Jammu and Kashmir the implementing agency – Rural Development Department – has deprived people in twelve districts of central cash assistance of Rs 3.54 cores and 1500 tones of food grains beside taking `nasty’ steps to ensure non-implementation of `revolutionary’ programme.
A perusal of how the programme was implemented in the state reveals a saga of `mis-management’ and `incompetence’ of RDD to benefit the weaker section of the society.
Sources said that the programme guidelines lain down certain conditions for release of funds by the Government of India and it was made clear to the state governments that in case the conditions were not adhered to, the GOI was to impose cuts from the subsequent installments due to the state.
Scrutiny of the programme revealed that in state of Jammu and Kashmir Rs. 3.54 crore and 1,500 tons of food grains were deducted by the GOI during 2002-03 to 2006-07 from the releases due to 128 districts, owing to late submission of proposals, incurring of less expenditure on SC/STs, short release of state share diversion of funds to other activities, excess spending n administrative contingency and retention of excess opening balances.
“Thus, non adherence to laid down conditions for implementation of the programme by the State Government derived people in these districts of the central cash assistance of Rs. 3.54 crore and 1,500 tons of food grains with possible loss in creation of an employment opportunity f 3.97 lakh man-day”, Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its latest report pointed out.
It clearly says that the objective of creating economic assets for sustainable employment was not achieved and as against the requirement of Rs. 3.89 crore to be spent on individual beneficiaries/group schemes for SC/ST, only Rs. 3.68 lakh were spent during 2002-2006 against a financial target for expenditure of Rs. 6.01 Crore for creation of need based infrastructure in SC/ST areas, only Rs. 1.96 crore were spent during 2002-06.
Out of the funds received for programme implementation by four ACDs (Baramulla, Doda, Rajouri and Udhampur) and 20 BDOs (Achabal, Assar, Baramulla, Bhadrewah, Bhalwal, Boniyar, Chenani, Dansal, Kalakote and Kishtwar) during 2002-06, an amount of Rs 1.24 crore was diverted/utilized by them on activities not related tot eh programme like purchase of new vehicles, computers, photo state machines, office furniture, POL, repairs of vehicles depositing of court fees, serving f refreshments, office expenses, payment f wages to daily rated staff, etc.
As a testimony of the `efficacy’ of the implementing agency, the report, copy of which is available with News Agency of Kashmir, reveals that seven blocks (Assar, Bhaderwah, Bhalwal, Chenani, Kishtwar, Ramnagar and Reasi) additional assistance of Rs. 12.09 lakh – received under Prime Minister’s Special Package during 2003-05 – was utilized for carriage of food grains, purchase of computers, generator sets, repairs of vehicles including diversion to other programme and execution of works outside the scope f programme guidelines.