This act guarantees hundred days of wage employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members offer to do unskilled manual work. Thousands of crores have been allotted under this scheme to various states in the country. Hundreds of cases are coming up small and big where the wages are being paid to non existing ghost workers.
Where the wages have been paid for the work are less than what should be paid under this scheme or the wages are paid for less number of days and claimed for hundred days by coterie of government officials right from district collector to BDO to Sarpanch. Four percent of the allotted money is known as contingency fund that is specifically used for the welfare of women and children working under the schemes of NREGA. This four percent is used for providing water and sanitation for the workers, welfare centres like a crèche or a dispensary.
In rural areas no such facilities are ever provided to the poor worker’s family. This contingency fund is siphoned off by the government officials who are connected with NREGA running into hundreds of crores. Government schemes are formulated at the centre or the state capitals. The funds that are made available under these schemes flow from top to the bottom. Each official is hell bent on spending money on his level only. That money which is meant for the welfare of the people at the lowest rung never reaches them.
Every official spends that money on his own level. The poor worker does not know whom to make a complaint. The tax money paid by honest individuals is thus squandered on such grand schemes where government has no capability of implementing them.
How can money be siphoned off on all levels is a question that comes to the mind so very often? One of the biggest reasons is that there is no accountability of any government official. This is what needs to be corrected.
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