MGNREGA scam in Shopian Kashmir

Again, it is via the ”route” of job cards under the much hyped scheme that irregularities of serious nature wilfully have been made in Heerpora area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district. Astonishingly, as many as 91 minors have been shown as adults and funds withdrawn against their names and embezzled.
The concerned children had gone to collect their scholarship forms and fill in them but were told that their eligibility had seized as they had been provided with job cards under the captioned Scheme. While it is quite reprehensible that even in this scheme which is meant to provide wages against works of different nature done by the eligible beneficiaries in the rural areas, it should be misappropriated in such a manner prompting the locals in complaining to the Police. Police has so far verified 47 cases which were in the age group of 6, 7 and 10 years. The cheats have instead shown them as being in the age group of 40s.
We urge the authorities to get the scam thoroughly probed into, so that the perpetrators of the fraud are suitably punished. However, there have been several of such instances before also where gross irregularities were committed only for illegal purposes which calls for having the entire mechanism, of allotting work and job cards as also making payments to the beneficiaries within the stipulated time, duly verified and scrutinised from time to time.