The Sampla police have registered an FIR against an MGNREGA mate (a field level worker) for alleged financial irregularities in the implementation of the rural employment scheme in Samchana village, with an official inquiry estimating the suspected loss to the public exchequer at around Rs 1.25 crore.
The FIR registered on Monday names Parveen Kumar, a mate associated with MGNREGA works in Gram Panchayat Samchana. The case has been registered under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 409 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery) and 471 (using a forged document) of the IPC on the complaint of Assistant Project Officer and Programme officer (MGNREGA) Suresh Devi in this respect.
The case follows a complaint alleging large-scale irregularities in MGNREGA payments. According to the complaint, several persons whose names figured in wage payments claimed that they had never worked under the scheme. It also referred to a payment of Rs 10,395 in the name of a person who had died years earlier.
The Ombudsman, MGNREGA, Rohtak, had recommended registration of an FIR against the officials of Panchayat Department posted at Sampla, and other officials allegedly involved in the matter. The Ombudsman had observed that similar irregularities could have occurred in 356 cases and tentatively assessed the financial loss at around Rs 1.25 crore.
The inquiry found a recurring pattern in bank transactions. MGNREGA payments credited through PFMS into the accounts of several beneficiaries were followed by transfers to Parveen Kumar’s mobile/UPI number
The inquiry examined bank statements of several beneficiaries and found instances of subsequent transfers to the same UPI number after MGNREGA payments were credited. It noted that the pattern appeared in accounts of more than one beneficiary.
The complainant further claimed that several alleged beneficiaries had stated that they never performed MGNREGA work, while amounts were credited to their accounts and subsequently transferred either online or in cash.
