ONGOLE: YSR Congress Whip in Parliament Y.V.Subba Reddy on Tuesday asked the Centre to immediately intervene and stop the alleged large-scale diversion of central funds earmarked for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in Andhra Pradesh.
The diversion of funds went unchecked during 2016-17 with CC roads accounting for a lion's share of Rs. 2,500 crore and Neeru Chettu Rs. 100 crore. In the previous year, Rs. 500 crore and Rs. 1,958 crore respectively were diverted for the two schemes, he alleged at a press conference here.
In violation of the NREGS objective of providing wage employment to workers, machines were used in the execution of the works decided by the Janmabhoomi Committee packed with TDP men and without the adoption of a resolution by the Gram Sabhas concerned, he said.
“My party will raise the issue in Parliament and exert pressure on the Centre to put an end to diversion of central funds and violation of the provisions of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act,” he added.
Officials pulled up
Earlier, Zilla Parishad and Mandal Praja Parishad members, attending the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DDCMC) meeting, took strong exception to the selection of NREGS works by the Mandal Development Officers concerned without their approval.
They pulled up the officials for clearing a bill to the tune of Rs. 11.64 lakh even though no road had allegedly been laid in Veluguvaripalem village in Tallur mandal. They also took objection to a circular issued by the State government mentioning that the approval of the local bodies concerned had been deemed to have been given if not done within 15 days.
Collector denies lapses
Denying any procedural lapses in taking up NREGS works in the district, Collector Sujata Sharma said, “Half of the NREGS workers will go without food and water if works are delayed for want of approval.”
Chairing the meeting, Mr. Subba Reddy expressed unhappiness over the tardy implementation of the central schemes, including PM's Fasal Bima Yojana, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, National Health Mission and PM's Gramin Awaas Yojana in the district.
Upset with officials not setting right leaking drinking water pipelines in P.C.Palli, adopted by the MP, he asked, “If this is the situation in the village adopted by me, what would be the position in other villages?”
The DDCMC Chairman was also unhappy with the officials for not laying a borewell for drinking water in his another adopted village of Dadavada on the pretext of no response to the tender called for the purpose from the contractor concerned.
