SRIKAKULAM: Battula Chandramma, who had been migrated to Bhubaneswar of Odisha many days ago from the village for eking out the survival was given the payment under NREGS wages recently by the local field assistant. Similarly more than 40 women from various women groups in the village were also made payment though they did not attend to any wage work.
Villagers of Keerthipuram of Ichchapuram mandal alleged that the NREGS funds were highly misappropriated by the local field assistant. By manipulating the records, the field assistant had gained about Rs 10 lakh they alleged. Since many of the women group members were illiterates, they were deceived by the local field assistant by threatening to discontinue the job cards unless they put their thumb impression on the muster record.
She also misguided the group members that their jobs cards would automatically be lapsed if they failed to attend to wage works over a period to time and also suggested to put their thumb print on the muster card irrespective of attending to the wage works. It was learnt that the field assistant in collusion with local village postmaster K Venkatesh had made the payment on 14 and 15 this month in which the major portion of amount had been sidetracked.
Though we did not attend to the wage works so far in this financial year, we were asked to put the thumb impression on the muster card to avoid the lapse said Nakkitla Bharathi, Nakkitla Janaki of Maha Laxmamma group of Keerthipuram village. They also said that it was leant that the payment which was made to them on record, was pocketed by the field assistant.
Similarly Singatapu Tulasamma of Shiridi Sai group, Karudi Santamma of Anjaneya group were also alleged that they were deceived by the local field assistant Damayanti and were misguided. They also demanded an official inquiry on the fraud immediately.
Taking it very seriously more than 10 women from the village on Monday earlier met the district collector K Dhananjaya Reddy and lodged a complaint in grievance cell at Srikakulam.
Contacted, DWMA PD H Kurma Rao said that he would not spare anybody if such fraud took place. He also said that he would deploy a team of officials to probe the matter immediately.
Contacted, Ichchpauram APO Prameela had assured that she would probe into the matter as she was coming to know about the fraud only after TNIE took the issue to her notice. She also said that they had paid Rs 145000 so far to the as many as 217 wage workers from 196 families from Keerthipuram village.
However contacted Keerthipuram NREGS field assistant Dhamayanthi quashed the allegation and said that the village surpanch and their followers made the issue politicalise.