Rural development minister C.P. Joshi has ordered a probe into the reported misuse of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) funds by the Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government.
“The minister wants quick action in the case following the due process of enquiry,” said a senior official in the rural development ministry.
Sources disclosed that Mr Joshi took the decision after he came to know that the Gujarat government has been using MGNREGA funds to pay their own workers employed for many years rather than generating new employment.
“This clearly amounts to violation of the MGNREGA,” said sources, adding that even the Gujarat high court had taken note of such instances and had passed an order recently.
The three-member probe panel, headed by joint secretary in the rural development ministry Amita Sharma, will visit Gujarat and submit a report by next week.
The enquiry committee will verify whether money allocated by the centre is being diverted to purposes other than prescribed for in the acts, rules and guidelines of the Central government.
The panel will also verify whether the procedures have been followed in preparation of labour budget and taking up the works. Besides checking if the Gujarat government is taking up works not permitted under MGNREGA, the panel will inspect the job cards, muster rolls, cash book, employment register and vouchers to find out if financial propriety was being followed by the state government in the execution of the act.
The committee will also verify if social audit of the rural job plan is being conducted as per rules and whether the payment to workers is being made within the prescribed time limit by the state government, the sources added.