Beating Modi’s jan dhan, MNREGS officials divert money to namesake accounts in Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL: Babus often accused of corruption have found a unique way to beat PM Modi’s big-ticket financial inclusion programme — Jan Dhan scheme. For them, it does not matter whether MNREGS beneficiaries have bank accounts. Officials diverted money to another individual’s account, who in turn paid up the beneficiary in cash. Money is often siphoned off in the process, say sources.
District administration launched a probe after a TOI report on September 15 gave damning proof of a dead man working under the flagship MNREGS scheme in Parsora village in the district. During probe, accused officials made a shocking claim. They said the dead labourer was a namesake of the real beneficiary so wages was transferred to his mother’s account, who in turn paid up the money in cash.
TOI had reported that death certificate of Bapulal, son of Hazarilal, resident of Hinotiya Jagir village showed he died on June 3, 2012, but he was in MNREGS records as a regular worker. And Bapulal was shown to have constructed a well of a villager, Mangilal, between July 7 and July 13.
But the village secretary told the probe team that “another worker Bapulal, son of Kaluram, demanded work and wages and we inadvertently entered his name in place of late Bapulal, son of Hazarilal. Wages were also transferred to the account of the deceased’s mother, Bhanwari Bai. And Bhanwari was later made to pay up the wages in cash.” The probe report states action will be taken against Rojgar Sahayak, MNREGS, and salary increment of panchayat secretary will be stopped.