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Rahul's agship job-guarantee

scheme ops in his own
constituency

By PIYUSH SRIVASTAVA
PUBLISHED: 00:12 GMT, 15 May 2013 | UPDATED: 00:12 GMT, 15 May 2013
source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2324507/Rahuls-agship-job-
guarantee-scheme-ops-constituency.html

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the agship scheme of
the UPA pushed by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, is stuttering in his own
constituency, Amethi.

Although there are 2,37,853 job card holders in Amethi and 84,734 families have got jobs under
the scheme in 2012-13, only 1,250 families have got 100 days of work, according to a report of
the rural development ministry of the Union government. The scheme promises 100 days of job in
a year to its beneciaries.

The state government
has spent about 76 per
cent of the total fund
sanctioned under the
scheme in 2012-13, but
in Amethi only 50 per
cent of the fund has
been utilised. The total
budget for the job
guarantee scheme for
Amethi in 2012-13 was
Rs 56 crore.



UP rural development
minister Arvind Singh
Gope said: "The Centre is
unwilling to help the state.
Despite so many meetings
between UP and central government ofcials, they have been blocking funds by falsely blaming us
(for unspent funds). They have ignored even Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's letters. Whatever
they are saying is politically motivated. We have worked well. Our performance
in Amethi is better than at many other places.

"If there is any problem in Amethi regarding inadequate work and availability of funds, I assure you
that action will be taken against the ofcials," he added.

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Sri Krishna Tiwari, project director of Chhatrapati
Sahuji Maharaj Nagar (Amethi), said: "I do not
have any detail of the overall performance in
Amethi. But there are some blocks in Amethi
where we have spent more than 87 per cent of
the budget. Maybe there are problems at some
places, but that would be sorted out soon."

Rahul has often highlighted the success of
MGNREGA at meetings in Amethi.
It has also been found that only two complaints
were received by the government from Amethi
with regard to the running of the scheme in the
last three years.

Akhilesh Maurya, a gram pradhan of Bhadar
area, had lodged a complaint on March 10, 2011
against one Radhe Shyam Maurya for allegedly
destroying a drain constructed by the block
panchayat.

The other complaint was lodged by Amit Kumar
Singh, a resident of Jamo area in the
constituency. Amit had alleged that no work was
done there but many works were shown as done
and wages were paid. None of the complaints
was investigated.

Sources said 1,452 social audits - public
assessment of the projects undertaken under the
job guarantee scheme - were supposed to be
done in Amethi in the last two years on the basis
of the projects underway. However, only 36
audits were conducted.

Also, UP is yet to establish an independent
directorate for regular social audit. The Centre
had written to the state three months ago to
submit the utilisation certicate for nancial year
2012-13. But the state is yet to send any reply.
Gope said the scheme is suffering because of the
disinterest of the Centre.


Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2324507/Rahuls-agship-job-
guarantee-scheme-ops-constituency.html
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