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3rd tranche of NREGA funds for UP
Days after alleging corruption in MNREGA schemes in Uttar Pradesh, a “conscious” Rural Development Ministry has sanctioned the third tranche of funds of Rs 1200 crore to the poll-bound State but not without a renewed threat to stop the allocations in future if pending complaints were not acted upon.
“The third installment is being sanctioned as the Ministry is acutely conscious that the people of the State should not be penalised for the failure of the state government to take credible action against those held responsible for financial irregularities,” a senior official from the Ministry said.
Sources, however, pointed out that the Centre itself would not have risked a stoppage of MNREGA funds ahead of the UP Assembly polls. It would have given Chief Minister Mayawati the much-needed ammunition to take on the Centre.
The Centre besides the Congress has already upped the ante against Mayawati with Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh targeting the BSP supremo on the basis of MNERGA irregularities and daring her to order a CBI probe. Ramesh had also threatened to stop the Central funds if action was not taken. In his second letter to her, Ramesh went on to even name officials found guilty in reports of independent National Level Monitors and State Quality Monitors.
Mayawati first retaliated by writing to the Prime Minister ignoring Ramesh even as she defended her actions. Hitting back at Ramesh, she termed the move as a political stunt ahead of the Assembly elections and asked if any other state was being “harassed” in a similar manner and whether such an environment was being created “deliberately”.
The state government has, nevertheless, promised to submit action taken reports on all pending complaints by December 10 this year. “The release of further installments will be considered when these action taken reports have been submitted and after they have been examined for their veracity,” the official added.
The Centre had released two installments--Rs 1000 crore on May 23rd and Rs 1349 crore on July 4th, this year.
