In findings that may further strain Congress-Bahujan Samaj Party relationship in Uttar Pradesh, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has detected serious lapses and irregularities in the implementation of the NREGA scheme in the state.
In its report for the year ended March 31, 2008, the CAG has expressed serious concern over deficiencies like 'non-provision of the envisaged job guarantee to rural poor, fake payment of wages and delay in payment of wages to labourers'.
The much-touted National Rural Employment Guarantee Act came into being in 2006.
The CAG report has pointed out instances of 'delay ranging from six to 11 months in annual plans' which have resulted in non-timely provision and in some cases even non-provision of employment to households.
Besides, implementation of the programme was adversely affected on account of non-appointment of Dedicated Programme Officers at block level and non-deployment of 'Rozgar Sevaks' in Gram Panchayats.
The CAG has also noted with concern that 'wages of Rs 1.21 crore (Rs 12.1 million) were paid to labourers with delay ranging from one to nine months as against the maximum permissible period of 15 days'.
The report has also pointed out an instance of 'fraudulent payment' to the tune of Rs 47,000 in Sitapur district where the money was paid to labourers who 'did not exist in the Gram Panchayat concerned'. Besides, fraudulent payment to the tune of Rs 1,07,000 for a total of 1585 mandays was made in various other districts on account of labourers with same name and job card appearing twice or even thrice in the muster rolls of 'same or different works which were executed during the same period', the report said.
The CAG also has pointed out the instance of Rs 32,000 being paid without taking signature/thumb impression on token of receipt of payments to '51 labourers (347) mandays' in a Gram Panchayat of Fatehpur district.
Yet another deficiency detected by the CAG is 'short payment of wages', wherein payment for 7,911 mandays was made at the rate of Rs 58 instead of the approved rate of Rs 80-100.
The report has also pointed out poor maintenance of records due to which 'it was not possible to verify the issue of job cards within prescribed time limit, the number of households demanded/provided employment and the entitlement of individual households to unemployment allowance'.
Besides, 'inadequate compliance of the scheme's inbuilt transparency safeguards such as social audit, non-formation of vigilance and monitoring committees, inadequate inspections of work by district and block level officers and non-appointment of district quality monitors adversely affected effectiveness of the scheme' the report noted.
