Imphal, September 12, 2010: Even though the government had claimed that at least 4,18,613 households were given employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREG) scheme in Manipur in 2009-10,some villagers of Imphal East district alleged they were given to work only for a few days instead of the designated 100 days.

"We were given work to repair our village approach road for hardly a week this time", claimed M Maipakpi,a housewife in Top Naoriya Gram Panchayat Imphal east district, showing her job card.

"Earlier (in 2008-09),we worked for 63 days".

Like Maipakpi,her colleagues in Mutum Leikai were given work for 63 days work under MGNREG scheme 2008-09.This time (2009-10), they expect to get wages for only one week,sources said.

Interestingly some of the irregularities in implementing MGNREG in the district came to light when one Athokpam Kishorjit of Imphal West district extracted information through RTI(Right to Information) recently.

According to sources from the ombudsman office of Imphal east under the MGNREG scheme,a sum of Rs 10,38,4068 was sanctioned to generate 76,966 mandays (working days) by 1282 job card holders of Top Naoriya Gram Panchayat in the year 2008-09.For 2009-10 for its 1st phase a sum of Rs.47,134/- has been sanctioned to generate just 322 working days.

"Report of sanctioning a lesser amount besides entitling lesser mandays compared to the previous year indicates that there might be irregularities in the implementation of the MGNREG scheme", Sources at ombudsman office of Imphal east said.

The sources further claimed that the allegations of sanctioning more funds in some specific grams panchayats of the same district have also been reported.

It says a total of Rs 1,28,71,2581 was been sanctioned to generate 94,078 mandays (working days) from 782 job card holders of the Kiyamgei Muslim Arapti Gram Panchayat in 2008-09 with another Rs 20,00,541 in 2009- 10.The number of mandays for 2009-10 have not been disclosed the sources said.

People of Manipur including Pradhans and Panchayats are not aware of certain schemes including MGNRG leave alone knowing officials or the implementing agencies of the schemes.

MGNREG scheme was implemented with funding pattern on a sharing basis between Central and State Government at the ratio of 90:10 to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteered for unskilled manual work.

In Imphal East district-a sum of Rs 3171 lakhs were spent in 2009-10 out of available fund of Rs 3177 lakhs to generate 26.11 lakhs mandays(working days) by 58,022 job cards, according to an annual administrative report of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj department.

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