In another controversy over the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), a complaint was filed last week against the Secretary of the Village Employment Council (VEC), who also happens to be a vendor for MGNREGS, for not paying the full amount owed to a supplier and for carriage of materials under the Mylliem Block Development Office.
A letter addressed to the Mylliem Block Development Officer (BDO), Elikstar S Nongdhar said that the VEC Secretary, Roben Pasi, had asked the complainant on January 16, 2019 to supply materials for the MGNREGS projects in the villages of Lumsohphie, Mawkyndup and Lumtiewlieh. On the assurance that the expenses would be reimbursed as soon as the block office released the funds, the complainant had faithfully supplied the materials and also ferried them to the project locations.
However, Pasi failed to pay him the full amount, putting him into great hardship. The letter to the BDO said that Pasi still owes Nongdhar Rs 1.32 lakh, which the latter said is an amount which he cannot afford to lose. The amount has already been released by the block office, it is learnt.
Nongdhar asked the Mylliem BDO to intervene and help get his money from the vendor and VEC Secretary as he is also a functionary under the Block office.
Copies of the letter were given to the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary of the Community and Rural Development Department (C&RD), Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills and others. He begged them to help him get his hard-earned money from the VEC secretary. The same plea had also been made to the BDO in July 2020 but to no avail.
The grassroots scheme, which is meant to provide income to the rural folk by providing 100 days of wages for labour and create assets in the villages, has become controversial as money has been allegedly siphoned off by the village functionaries and schemes have not been implemented as per the sanctioned amounts.
Several cases have been brought before the state Lokayukta, which reveal the direct failure of the government authorities and, in particular, the C&RD Department to manage and monitor these grassroots affairs, said sources.
