Dimapur, Dec. 21 (EMN): The Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) has asked the state’s department of Rural Development to ‘disclose the complete details regarding utilization and distribution of MGNREGA funds in public domain within 7 days’.
The forum issued a press statement on Thursday announcing the deadline. “Through the local dailies on 8 October 2017, the NPRAAF had revealed about the release of more than Rs 1000 crore for implementation of MGNREGA in Nagaland during 2016-17 and 2017-18.
With widespread allegations on the misuse of the fund, NPRAAF urged the Rural Development department reveal the details in public domain through all the local newspapers as regards the release of funds for material and labour component in district wise, block wise and village wise and then provide the total amount.
“NPRAAF had also cautioned the department that refusal to provide the details in public domain might compel NPRAAF to approach appropriate authority to initiate CBI inquiry into the entire RD department.
However, the Rural Development department had ignored NPRAAF’s suggestion for disclosing the fund distribution in detail in public domain so as to exhibit transparency in the utilization of MGNREGA fund,” it stated.
According to the NPRAAF, the department had ‘shied away’ from exhibiting transparency in the management of funds considering the ‘humongous amount’ involved. As such, it informed, the forum was ‘contemplating taking up the issue of MGNREGA fund separately and will approach the Centre for an inquiry’
“In the event, there is any freezing of MGNREGA funds to Nagaland by the government of India, NPRAAF will not be held responsible.
Therefore, the RD department is once again reminded for the last time to disclose the complete details regarding utilization and distribution of MGNREGA funds in public domain within 7 days,” it stated.
