-The Assam Sentinel

DIPHU: The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), was introduced with an objective to provide legal guarantee of 100 days of wage in a financial year to every rural household, whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work at the minimum wage rate as has been prescribed for agricultural labour in the State.

However, instead of helping the poor in their uplift, MNREGA has become a boon for the officials and politicians in Karbi Anglong. They spare no stone unturned to loot public money with both hands. The job card holders never get their due.It is only after repeated request for work, a job card holder manage to get work for a few days. They are made to work in under difficult conditions, violating all the norms of MNREGA.

The Rongkhang Development Block is one such example where officials from the level of the gram sevaks to that of the block  level as well as the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council are engaged in pocketing huge amounts of money that were meant for public.The Block had sanctioned an amount of Rs 5 lakh for the construction of a road from Manipuri Gaon to Chirimukam via PWD IB at Donkamokam in 2009-2010. But till today, the road has not been constructed. Interestingly, this road was to be constructed by crossing Donka river near PWD IB. But in the office records, the block has shown 100 per cent completion of work.The office records show that Rs 20,6630 was spent on material and Rs 29,3370 on wages, out of the sanctioned amount of Rs 5 lakh. But, despite the records, in reality no construction work has been started till date. Even though a number of FIRs were lodged with the Baithalangso PS against the rampart corruption taking place in the Rongkhang Development Block about one and half years ago, the complaints have evoked no response for reasons best known to the investigating officer.