In Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district, a massive scam under the Manrega scheme has been exposed in a startling discovery. Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), officials found that a number of panchayat employees were reporting fictitious attendance and posting fake photos. 14 Panchayat Rozgar Sevaks were suspended as a result of this scheme misuse, and stringent measures are currently being put in place to ensure that similar scams don’t happen again.
Same Photograph Used Many Times
During a random inspection, it was discovered that in many villages, the same photograph of a worker had been shown multiple times against multiple projects. In certain situations, the workers were recorded as present when there was no work. These false records not only cheated public money but also weakened the very motive of the scheme to provide actual employment to the rural poor.
Villages Involved in the Scam
The scam was lodged in six blocks of Muzaffarpur – Kudhni, Kanti, Saraiya, Motipur, Sahebganj, and Paroo. The major panchayats from where fake entries were found are:
Kudhni block: Shahpur Maricha
Saraiya block: Amaitha, Bahilwara Govind, Bahilwara Rupnath, Sakri Saraiya, Akhtiyarpur Paraiya, Kishunpur Mohni
Motipur block: Rapur Bhediyahi, Mahima Gopinathpur, Pakri, Thikaha
Sahebganj block: Paharpur Manorath, Gaura, Basantpur Chainpur
Kanti block: Dadar Kolhua, Mohammadpur Khaje
Attendance was taken in a particular panchayat where no work laborer performed the task.
What Action Has Been Taken
Deputy Development Commissioner (DDC) Shresth Anupam acted with promptness after the scam had been unearthed. He directed a 5% cut in the wages of the 14 employees of the panchayat who had been found doing it. Also, program officers of the involved blocks were fined ₹1,000 each. Mates (site supervisors) found to be party to the mischief were taken off duty.
Why This Matters
According to DDC Anupam, fake attendance and photo misuse directly harm the goals of Manrega, i.e., offering genuine employment in rural environments. Such types of frauds are harmful to the government initiative and the local community based on such opportunities.
People Demand Stricter Monitoring
While the masses and social organizations appreciated the crackdown, they also demanded more rigorous surveillance systems to make sure that such scams do not occur at all. Since digital means are already being utilized under Manrega, experts demand closer checks to avoid repetition.
The incident has once again raised issues about accountability and proper honest implementation of rural employment schemes in India.