Hyderabad: A sum of Rs 11.73 crore was found
to be misappropriated in the National Rural Employment
Guarantee Programme in Andhra Pradesh, the Chief Minister`s
Office (CMO) has said.
Rural Development Department officials, however, informed
Chief Minister K Rosaiah that the amount was "recovered"
through social auditing.
"Nearly 4,000 employees involved with NREGP works have
been dismissed, 208 were placed under suspension and 1,433
department enquiries into the misappropriation of funds have
been initiated," the officials told the Chief Minister,
according to the CMO release.
A total of 639 FIRs have been also lodged in connection
with the embezzlement of funds, it added.
Interestingly, the CMO release quoted Rosaiah as saying:
"Andhra Pradesh had set new standards and also become a role
model in implementation of the UPA`s flagship programme, the
Mahatma Gandhi NREGP."
Rosaiah, however, stressed on the need to plug loopholes,
if any, in the implementation of welfare schemes and ensure
that the intended benefits reached only genuine and needy
beneficiaries.
"There is no point in spending huge amounts from the
exchequer on developmental and welfare schemes if loopholes in
the administrative machinery exist and poor and needy are
unable to take the benefits," he said and asked officials to
evolve an efficient delivery mechanism to overcome the lapses.
The chief minister asked all MPs, MLAs and MLCs to
closely monitor the progress of welfare schemes and bring the
lapses, if any, to his notice.
-PTI
