The Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) has urged the State Rural Employment Society (SRES) to withhold material bills pending verification of job cards and physical works under Demdema C&RD Block for the Financial Years 2023–2024 and 2024–2025.
A two phase door-to-door verification drive of all job card holders across all Village Employment Councils (VECs) under the block have been scheduled after COMSO complaint against an unprecedented increase in job cards issued between 2020 and 2025, including large-scale embezzlement of public funds under the MGNREGA scheme.
COMSO said the decision taken to conduct a full-scale verification reaffirms public faith in the mechanisms of transparent and just governance. However, the organisation felt that all pending material bills should be withheld until the door-to-door verification of all job cards is completed and to initiate an inquiry into the physical execution and financial utilisation of all works sanctioned under MGNREGA for the financial years 2023–2024 and 2024–2025.
It also urged the SRES to recommend appropriate disciplinary action if any officials or personnel are found complicit in enabling irregularities.
Yesterday, it was revealed that four data entry operators (DEOs) had surreptitiously registered hundreds of job card holders under the MGNREGA scheme database favouring a community, without formal verification or approval from the Block Development Officer.
Stating that a significant number of job cards may have been issued through irregular and opaque processes, in direct contravention of MGNREGA guidelines, COMSO also said the database of active job cards is in need to complete vetting due to absence of proper household surveys, non-consultation with Gram Sabhas, and alleged favouritism in beneficiary selection.
“What raises deeper concern is the manner in which material bills—linked directly to the number of active Job Cards—have been prepared and submitted. If a large proportion of these cards are indeed invalid or ineligible, the corresponding material bills, calculated on their basis, are rendered suspect. The risk of inflated claims, ghost works, and financial leakage becomes not only plausible but likely,” the organisation stated.
According to COMSO, many works sanctioned during the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 fiscal years were not executed as per technical specifications or measurable standards, with physical completion not even amounting to 30 per cent in some cases. “These inconsistencies call for a concurrent technical and financial audit to ensure that public funds are utilized solely for the benefit of genuine beneficiaries,” it added.
