STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Congress on Monday lashed out at the PDP-BJP Coalition Government for the blatant violations of MGNREGA and Panchayati Raj norms in the allocation of
plans especially for MGNREGA funds, leading to the gross irregularities in the system and misuse of the scheme.
In a statement, JKPCC Chief Spokesman, Ravinder Sharma said that favoritism and political interference has defeated the very purpose of MGNREGA and led to misuse of the scheme.
“The plans are formulated in the Panchayati ignoring the Gram Sabhas which is against the basic spirit of democracy and Panchayati Raj system,” he said adding that even in the absence of elected Panchayats, the Gram Sabha is a permanent feature and has to be consulted for the formations of plans by the concerned agencies.
Since this Coalition Government, he said, has taken over it ignored and bypassed the Panchayats and after the completion of the tenure of the Panchayats, it is discretion of ruling leaders to allocate the funds purely on political consideration.
This is the worst kind of the example of mis-governance and working of Gram Sabhas, he said adding no rules or procedure is being adopted except on papers and it has become the sole discretion of ruling legislators to allocate and announce the MNERGA funds, as per sweet will and choice on political and other considerations, without any fair and transparent criteria.
He said that PDP-BJP when out of power used to raise much hue and cry about the Panchayati Raj System but in power they made the Panchayati Raj System totally defunct and usurped the rights of the general population in the Panchayats in a participatory democracy.
He also said that not only this, this Govt. has introduced contractor regime and open use of machinery in the execution of MNERGA works which is a total violation of the scheme and defeats its very purpose.
