------------------------------------------------------------------------ * G * O * A * N * E * T **** C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S * ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Planning to get married in Goa? www.weddingsetcgoa.com Making your 'dream wedding' possible ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This scheme was promoted by the ex-Belgian citizen, now an Indian naitonal, Jean Dreze. He was able to push it through only because of his closeness to Sonia Gandhi, and by presenting as an alleged 'aam admi' programme to enable the party to win elections. The national scheme is almost on the same lines as the one in Maharashtra. When the scheme was about to be implemented, a scandal in the Mahrashtra scheme had been exposed. The methodology for corruption in the Maharashtra scheme was exactly the same as what is stated in this report. In Maharashtra the scandal was exposed in more than one place. And there is no reason to believe that what has been stated in the article has not happened in other places in the country. It is a tragedy in our media that this corruption is not being aggressively exposed. A huge amount of money is being wasted here. Even where the scheme is being implemented in the way it is supposed to be, studies have shown that the amount reaching the ultimate beneficiaries, namely the ones who are doing the physical labour, get only a portion of the total expenditure. The rest goes on material and administration (ie the government servants). A professor in the USA has written an article recently stating that instead of the scheme, it would be better to make a cash transfer to the people. Of course, even in such case corruption can well be quite significant, since the payrolls can be manipulated, or the recepient is forced to part away some of the money that he receives. There have been at least two people who have been killed for exposing the corruption. From a moral standpoint, these deaths should be on the head of the promoters of the scheme. The economists and others are also conspicuous by their silence. The supposed economist par excellence, namely the prime minister, is once again exhibiting a Bhishma like silence. Read more by clicking the link provided here below: Author: Subodh Ghildiyal Publication: The Times of India Date: October 2, 2009 URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/40-of-NREGA-funds-siphoned-off -in-key-districts/articleshow/5079111.cms Massive corruption in the NREGA scheme in Lalitpur, one of the most backward districts of UP, is more serious because functionaries, besides being corrupt, have also been revealed to be indifferent towards the scheme. The district has been able to spend Rs 157 crore-far short of what is required in the unirrigated region ravaged by drought. The most common irregularity is faking of old assets-roads and wells-as new, and spiriting away the allocation. Money is also being pocketed by inflating the scale of work-like construction of bunds and digging-while muster rolls have been cooked up to make fruadulent withdrawals. This was the tale across gram panchayats Patha, Bilt, Paniyara, Budera, Ram Nagar, Barethi, Sunderpur, Bhamora and Mawai. In Budera, the monitors reviewing a Jatropha plantation work of Rs 4.10 lakh, found nothing on the grounds for the Rs 80,000 that was claimed to have been spent. A well on the land of Achheylal Kushwaha was shown as a fresh construction although it has been in existence since 2004. In Sukwaha, the monitors found an ingenious way of misappropriation. The functionaries claimed payment for construction of three roads whereas they had constructed one. A road from Sukhwaha to Gundwara was made and widened alright measuring 1,280 metres. But it was found the road was also broken into two-Sukhwaha to Barai Tal and Barai Tal to Gundwara-on papers and the measurement book of the original road split. The money for one road was thus paid thrice. There are serious doubts on the construction of 'kuchcha roads' made in Patha. While a road from Patha to Sagoni (Rs 3.92 lakh) and Deviji Mandir Patha to Matauli (Rs 4.90 lakh) were made, land records show that these were existing roads. Poor workers have lost in the process. In Patha, the sarpanch kept a blank document signed by him which could be used by secretaries to create fabricated records. In a check dam, with an estimated cost of Rs 4.99 lakh, money was embezzled by passing 15 cm thick RCC slabs as 25 cm. The structure was so weak that no shutters could be put for fear of water pressure triggering a collapse. The mustser roll signatures appeared signed by one person, either the sarpanch or secretary. In Bilt, while plantation was poor, tree guards, involving material cost on cement and bricks, have been made in large number at Rs 1,200 each. The monitors found that plant survival rate was barely 10-15% while 'tree guards' had leakages up to 60%.