The Mamata Banerjee government has asked district authorities to lodge FIRs against panchayat functionaries facing allegations of embezzlement under the MGNREGA 100day job scheme.
Sources said the step was taken after the Centre, which froze funds to Bengal under the MGNREGA, asked for recovery of funds allegedly misappropriated and initiate penal measures against those involved before any fresh allotment of funds.
Monitoring teams from Delhi, visiting the state since 2019, have pointed out several loopholes in the implementation process of the scheme here. The Centre sent repeated reminders over the past couple of years asking the state to take measures to recover funds misappropriated and take action against those involved.
“The state has also asked the districts to ensure that funds misappropriated under the scheme have to be recovered by September 9,” said a source.
“The district authorities have been asked to lodge FIRs against all those involved in embezzlement of funds.... The state had no other option,” said a senior official.
According to sources, the state government has already lodged FIRs against two gram panchayat pradhans in Nadia.
“They were yet to be arrested as they are absconding. But it is clear that the state will have to take action now if they want fresh allotment of funds under the 100 days job scheme,” said a bureaucrat.
Trinamul insiders said the state had to take actions against panchayat functionaries most of whom belong to the ruling party as Bengal needs MGNREGA funds ahead of rural polls next year.
“If jobs cannot be given to the rural people under the MGNREGA ahead of rural polls in Bengal, the party will definitely face the wrath of people. For this, if we have to take action against some corrupt panchayat functionaries, we have to accept it. This will not hurt the interest of the party. In fact, it will help clean the party’s image at the grassroots level before the rural polls,” said a Trinamul leader.