Village Employment Councils (VECs) under Lumshnong Community and Rural Development Block, East Jaintia Hills have accused the Block Development Officer (BDO) Tammiyaki Shylla of making false claim regarding payment of material expenditures in the implementation of MGNREGS projects in villages under the block.
The VECs were reacting to the claim by Shylla that the Lumshnong C&RD Block had released the payment for material bills for 2023-24. He had also blamed the VECs for not submitting material bills in time.
“The claim by the BDO is false and without any basis at all. All the VECs have submitted their material bills including utilisation certificates in time before the financial year. This year, he even asked his employees at Lumshnong C&RD Block not to entertain any material bill,” said VEC Association of Lumshnong Block.
The association also said that it had met the Project Director of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) East Jaintia Hills and the Joint Mission Director, State Rural Employment Society (SRES) to seek clarification on the matter.
“The Joint Mission Director, SRES told us that there is no such rule not to entertain material bills after the work has been completed. She also informed us that an amount of Rs 15 crore has been released for payment of material bills for Lumshnong C&RD Block and Wapung C&RD Block for 2023-24. It is surprising indeed that no such payment has been made to the VECs of Lumshnong C&RD Block. It is clear to us that the claim by BDO that the payment has been made is all false,” the association said.
Further, the association said that on September 9, members of the VECs under Lumshnong C&RD Block tried to meet the BDO at his office but he was not available and efforts to contact his mobile phone were unsuccessful as he did not respond to the calls.
