Nagaon, May 11: New Delhi will finally release NREGA funds to Dima Hasao district of Assam after 18 months.
The central share of Rs 4.5 crore would be released shortly, against the limited estimated work to be done by the district’s job card holders.
A source in the panchayat and rural development department said the formalities to release the funds have been completed.
“We got Rs 1.4 crore as state share during 2009-10 and that was the only funds received by the district against NREGA in the last year. Heavy rainfall has delayed the start of the estimated work with that amount. We hope work will start soon when the rain stops partially,” said Dima Hasao district DRDA project director S. Singh.
Delhi suspended the NREGA funds to the district since 2008-09 following an allegation that there was a terrible misutilisation of money, which the hill district received as wages for job card holders.
Dispur later ordered an inquiry by a commission headed by the general secretary, panchayati raj and rural development, Arun Kumar, into the scam. “During the past couple of months we streamlined the system. Online registration of job cards, muster roles entry, preparation of updated MIS has been finished,” said a DRDA source.
Dima Hasao district has five development blocks, of which Diyung Valley is the largest, with 10,100 card holders and New Sangbar is the smallest with 5,500 job card holders. The district has 40,790 job card holders, of who 1,530 are Scheduled Castes, 33,494 Scheduled Tribes and 5,760 belong to other communities.
“If money was misutilised then officials and dishonest politicians should be punished,” said Arup Langthasa, a Mahur villager.
