The Rural Development Ministry has constituted a 10-member committee to look into loopholes in the implementation of the scheme in the pocket boroughs of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi.
The committee, under the chairmanship of Pradeep Bhargava, former Rural Development Secretary of Madhya Pradesh, comprises noted NREGS activists like Aruna Roy, Jean Dreze, Nikhil Dey among others to look into the deficiencies in the implementation of the scheme in Rae Bareli, Sultanpur, Pratapgarh and Allahabad.
A circular was issued by JS Audhkhasi, under-secretary in the Ministry of Rural Development, underlining the fact that the decision was taken “with appoval of Hon Minister (Rural Development)” on Wednesday “to see to what extent the state government has taken requisite remedial measures to further streamline the implementation” of the scheme in Nehru-Gandhi family bastion.
The move follows the report of a central team led by former Rural Development Secretary KB Saxena last year. The committee had pointed out several deficiencies in the scheme in Rae Bareli, Sultanpur, Pratapgarh and Allahabad.
Apart from highlighting the deficiencies in the selection of works, issue of job cards, improper wage payment, absence of social audit, the Saxena committee had highlighted the alleged bias against Dalits.
“Job cards in Dalit areas have not been issued to all those who seek employment, especially in gram panchayats where pradhans are from higher castes,” the Saxena Committee had pointed out.