VIJAYAWADA: Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das has informed the Andhra Pradesh High Court that no vigilance enquiry is going on into the NREGS works executed by contractors in the State. The CS appeared before the court in person on Friday following its orders, in the case related to the pending dues of the NREGS contractors.
Several petitions were filed in the court against the delay in payment of the bills. In the last hearing, the panchayat raj department informed the court that a vigilance enquiry is going on into the NREGS works, while the Centre was informed that the enquiry has been completed. On August 23, the court directed the government to clear the pending bills within two weeks.
The case came for hearing on Friday again and the CS informed the court that no vigilance enquiry is going on into the NREGS works. Justice B Devanand said during the last hearing, when the court sought an explanation as to why 21 per cent of the bill payments were stopped, the principal secretary (panchayat raj) and commissioner said a vigilance enquiry was on.
Aditya Nath Das said large-scale irregularities took place in the execution of NREGS works during the previous regime. In the preliminary enquiry, it was found that though roads were not laid it was recorded that roads were laid, the Chief Secretary said. Following this, 21 per cent of the payments were stopped, the Chief Secretary informed the court.
Court seeks explanation on GO on aided schools, summons dept director
Taking exception to the manner in which school education officials were pressuring managements of aided schools to hand over the schools and staff, the HC on Friday summoned the director of the department to appear before it on Sept 29. The bench of Chief Justice Arup Kumar Goswamy and Justice J Umadevi heard the petitions filed by schools in Guntur and Prakasam challenging the government decision. Government pleader Raghuveer said only those schools that are voluntarily coming forward to are being taken over. The bench observed that there is a contradiction in what the government is saying and what it is doing