JOIN USThe issue of irregular payments under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) resulted in heated arguments at the general body meeting of Zilla Panchayat.
Raising the issue member Ganapathy Sriyan said funds are not provided labourers who work under various programmes initiated through MGNREGS. Works like toilet construction, wells and cattle sheds are taken up. However, whatever work, no fund is released to pay labourers. There is also no scope to construct roads and bridges, wherein the programme forbids provision, subsequently labourers cannot be paid for work.
Member Manjunath Poojary said official apathy is the main cause behind impediment in executing the scheme. Udupi District is lagging behind in utilising provisions of the scheme. He said people who take up work are pressurised to show minimum wage prices in the receipt. For instance, if cattle shelter is built at Rs 35,000, amount paid is Rs 9,000.
The officer said fund in labour component is exhausted and Rs 50 lakh was released on Friday and gram panchayats, line departments and horticulture departments are informed to avail the funds. As many as Rs 2.93 lakh is paid under wage component, while Rs 38 lakh is paid under material component. She said there is no question of chief minister’s 15 point programme causing obstacles in the fund release.
CEO Kanagavalli said fund under labour component is not released since past two months. However, there is stock of Rs 67 lakh under material component. Funds available under material component cannot be transferred to wage component. She assured to look into pending wage payments during 2012-13 in her reply to query raised by Member Katpadi Shankar Poojary. As many as Rs 48 lakh is pending to be given to laborers. Sriyan said although gram panchayats are informed over released funds, the system is not accepting thumb impressions.
The other issue that rocked the floor was irregularities in ensuring benefits of various housing schemes to beneficiaries. Member Uday Kotian said although sites are allotted to homeless needy, the area lacks basic infrastructural facilities. There are no roads, RTC is not been provided. Member Supriya Balakrishna Shetty said there is plenty of government land, which is under illegal encroachment. Citing the example of Brahmavar area, wherein large area of government land is being encroached illegally.
Manjunath Poojary said there is also land in possession of various gram panchayats. However, if land remains unutilised, it would be encroached by outsiders to take up rubber plantations.
CEO said as many as 143 acre of land is been reserved under revenue department. She said deputy commissioner would come out with solution shortly. Member Upendra Nayak said applications received under Akrama-Sakrama, which are not genuine, should be rejected.
Manjunath Poojary demanded that the house take unanimous resolution with regard to implementation of recommendations made by Kasturirangan Committee Report. He demanded that except for area already controlled by forest department, other area should not be included under Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs). The present criteria of considering 50 per cent cultural landscape to identify ESAs should be applied to villages, which have less than 50 per cent cultural landscape.
Member Babu Shetty said only reserve forest area and wildlife forest area should be considered. The area beyond these reserved areas should be drooped. Members unanimously decided to wait for the outcome of special Gram Sabhas held at village levels as assured by district in charge minister.