The CBI has registered three cases against former chief development officers and project directors of the Uttar Pradesh government for alleged irregularities in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in three districts.
Breach of trust“Pursuant to an Allahabad High Court directive issued in January on a writ petition filed in 2011, the cases have been registered under provisions pertaining to cheating, criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of funds and abuse of official power. The alleged irregularities have been detected in the implementation of the scheme in Mahoba, Balrampur and Gonda districts,” said an official.
The first case has been registered against the then block development officers of Charkhari, Kabrai, Jaitpur and Panwari blocks of Mahoba; a Lucknow-based private firm and unknown U.P. government officials.
“The then chief development officer; and the project director of the District Rural Development Agency in Balrampur, besides unknown suppliers and government officials have been booked in the second case. A similar case has been registered for alleged irregularities in Gonda,” the official said.
Searches conductedIn connection with the cases, the CBI conducted searches at 17 official and residential premises of the accused persons in Lucknow, Kanpur, Jaipur and other places. “We seized Rs. 51 lakh in cash from the residence of the then District Magistrate of Balrampur,” the official added.
