WE THE PEOPLE
Misutilization of Central funds has deprived rural population of food security and employment opportunities
Hence people demand probe into fictitious muster rolls and urge implementation of guidelines to achieve the objective
By: Zaina Khan
Srinagar: It is now well established that unemployment is a global phenomenon, but in India the nature of unemployment is completely different from what is available in more advanced countries of the world. Moreover, the nature of unemployment in rural belts of the country is somewhat different from the urban places. It was in this background that
Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) was launched with the objective of providing additional wage employment and food security to rural poor, besides creation of durable community, social and economic assets.
But it is unfortunate that employment opportunities having been generated from the programme have been found fictitious, and not based on data worked out from muster rolls. Food security to rural poor has allegedly not been ensured due to non-maintenance of proper ratio between payment of wages in cash and in kind in the form of food grains. The objective of creating durable community assets under the programme have allegedly suffered due to non-completion of priority works, blocking of funds, unfruitful investments, and diversion/misutilisation of funds and execution of works prohibited under the programme. It has surfaced that non-adherence to guidelines for implementation of the programme by the State Government has deprived people in 12 districts of Central cash assistance of Rs. 3.54 crore and 1,500 tons of food grains.
Thus the objective of creating economic assets for sustainable employment has not been achieved. As against the requirement of Rs. 3.89 crore to be sent on individual beneficiaries/group schemes for SC/ST, only Rs. 3.68 lakh were reportedly spent during 2002-06. Against a financial target for the expenditure of Rs. 6.01 crore for creation of need based infrastructure in SC/ST areas, only Rs. 1.96 crore were reportedly spent during 2002-06.
Besides 281.63 lakh mandays shown generated through execution of the programme works during 2002-07 as communicated to GOI were arrived at arbitrarily and were not based on data worked out from muster rolls.
It is all the more disgusting to learn that less distribution of food grains in far-flung areas has defeated the objective of providing food security to rural poor, besides disturbing the proportion of cash and food grains in other blocks.
It needs to be mentioned that the government of India and the State government release funds to Assistant Commissioners, Development (ACD) of each District for the implementation of SGRY, who in turn release funds to the Block Development Officers (BDOs) and other programme implementing agencies. The Union Ministry of Rural Development determines the district-wise allotment of funds (Central share) and food grains. The State share of funds is allocated to each ACD through District Development Commissioners.
The resources in the shape of funds and food grains allocated to a district were to be distributed among three tiers of panchayats-village panchayats, intermediate panchayats (Block Development Council) and district panchayats (District Planning and Development Board) in the ratio of 50:30:20. The District Development Board was to determine the allocation of funds and food grains to various Halqa panchayat.
The inspecting party has observed that for 1,486 works costing Rs. 6.92 crore test checked in 11 blocks, the muster rolls in support of 1,026 works costing Rs. 4.29 crore had not been received from the Panchayat Incharge (VLWs), who supervised these works. In five blocks of Kashmir Division for 114 works costing Rs. 52.27 lakh executed during 2002-07, muster rolls were not produced to the team on the plea that these were lying with the VLWs.
Hence people demand probe into fictitious muster rolls and urge implementation of guidelines to achieve the objective. Once the directions of the higher authorities are flouted, the result is obvious. Here in the instant case, the rural population has failed to enjoy the benefits of the programme launched by the Centre for the purpose.
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