SRIKAKULAM: With more than 80 per cent of its 28 lakh population largely dependent on agriculture and rampant migration remaining an issue, people of Srikakulam district look forward to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for livelihood, but the scheme appears to have failed in yielding the desired results.Even as the administration has laid its focus on creating jobs for the beneficiaries, the implementation is marred by corruption, misappropriation of funds, irregularities in wage payment and poor generation of jobs. Beneficiaries allege that interference by local political influence and apathy of field level officials have left them in dire straits, without livelihood.
The administration is providing jobs under various NREGS projects including tanks, farm ponds, canals, public institute development programme, ISLs, soak pits, plantation and vermi-compost and a few others.The pleas of beneficiaries in the fishermen villages in Vajrapukotturu, Batupuram, Gaduru, Gunupalli, Metturu, Akkupalli, Chiannalanka, Dokulapadu, Baipalli, Batupuram, Chinna Kotturu, Kottapeta, Hukumpeta and Devunaltada during the fishing ban this year has brought the gaping loopholes to the fore. While the 61-day ban was on, the fishermen villages with not less than 2,000 population have been left with no jobs.
The villagers allege that no job was created under NREGS, despite provisions and they were told by the officials that no earth works could be planned in the habitations for the soil profile being loose in the coastal belt. “The officials never explored alternatives to create jobs. Despite proposals having from 11 panchayats in V Kotturu for laying connecting roads to the sea coast for fishermen’s welfare, the officials paid no heed,” said Battina Mohana Rao, village head of Batupuram.
Similarly, the situation in 15 panchayats of the total 29 in Ponduru mandal is no different. “We have not been allocated a single manday of work under material component since 2015. However, the rest panchayats were allocated works worth `12 crore during 2015-16 and 2016-17 fiscals. The MPP representatives have moved the High Court,” said Ponduru MPP president Suvvari Divya.
She alleged that works worth `12 crore were allocated to 14 panchayats in Ponduru sans approval of Mandal Praja Parishad during Zill Parishad general body meeting held in December 2015. The Sarpanches concerned backed by the ruling party had their political influence to get the NREGS projects. Now, the High Court has awarded a stay on the ongoing works. But, defying the orders, allocations were made in 2016-17 fiscal. Recently, the collector has asked theofficials to stall the works temporarily,” she explained.
Further, allegations are being leveled that the officials are hand in glove with contractors. “Most of the NREGS labourers have not been paid for many days and they are being given lower wages when compared to the minimum wage declaration. As a result, migration from rural areas continues unabated,” alleged CPM state committee member Ch Tejeswara Rao. Though beneficiaries are supposed to get 100 to 200 mandays of work per annum, they are getting 50 mandays at best, pointed out AP State Rythu Coolie Association district president K Mohana Rao. Instead of executing the works by labourers, the officials prefer to safeguard the interest of the contractors, he alleged.
Further, NREGS records are being manipulated by local officials in association with political representatives, said D Krishna Reddy, village head of Nelavanka of Kaviti mandal. “The officials have shown in records that 200 coconut plants have been planted around Dukkapotanna tank. But, you can’t find not more than five. Similarly, 20 bills have been passed for constructing ISLs, but the realities is even the pits are yet to be dug up for the project,” he said.
Several lapses have been brought to the fore by the NREGP district vigilance cell. “During social audit, we have found that funds of `4.57 crore have been misappropriated,” said NREGS district vigilance officer Venakta Rao, adding that 4,940 cases have been registered against those responsible for the lapses.However, DWAMA project director, after re-verification, has dropped the amount of `75.76 lakh and issued orders for recovery of `2.58 core of which `79.73 lakh has been recovered, he added. Misappropriations worth `1.23 crore is yet to be finalised by the NREGP officials for recovery.DWMA project director H Kurma Rao said that he had issued notices to all the concerned for recovery. In the last five months, `220 crore has been spent for the works under the wage component and `42 crore more on material component.
Around 3.45 lakh people from the district have been provided with works, he added.
Responding on Ponduru legal tangle, he said political rivalry has halted the works. However, the district has stood 3rd in expenditure and 5th in all parameters in the state when it comes to execution of works.
“To improve the figures, special officers have been deployed in all mandals to review the works regularly. We are also mulling providing farm pond works to the coastal people and others in association with the Forest Department,” said the DWMA project director.