Bengaluru: A section of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report tabled in the Karnataka Assembly on Tuesday highlighted widespread irregularities in the implementation of the MNREGA scheme across the state. The report revealed fraudulent practices in housing projects, including payments made for already completed houses, disbursement to ineligible beneficiaries, wages paid without any construction work, and payments exceeding prescribed limits.
At numerous work sites, basic facilities such as drinking water, medical aid, and childcare were not provided, discouraging women and elderly workers from participating. Several approved projects under the scheme were not initiated, while many works remained incomplete for over a year.
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The CAG noted that the convergence of MNREGA works with technical and financial resources from other departments was ineffective due to the absence of institutional support and poor coordination with line departments. In 50 randomly examined cases, workers’ attendance was not properly marked, and signatures or thumb impressions were missing, yet payments totaling ₹5.51 lakh were made.
Concerns were also raised regarding the genuineness of employment. Meanwhile, 497 workers employed across 17 projects in 13 gram panchayats were not paid ₹10.98 lakh, despite submitting required documents. The report stated that in some cases, excess payments were made, violating scheme guidelines.
At district and taluk levels, the absence of technical committees led to unrealistic estimates, improper execution, and irregular expenditures. The report highlighted that expenditure was incurred beyond sanctioned limits due to non-revision of estimates as per MNREGA guidelines. Additionally, material costs for individual works were paid directly to vendors instead of beneficiaries, contravening government instructions.
The CAG report underscores critical gaps in scheme implementation, pointing to inadequate monitoring, lack of accountability, and poor coordination between departments. These issues, if not addressed, risk undermining the objectives of MNREGA, especially in promoting inclusive employment opportunities and social security for vulnerable sections.
The report serves as a reminder for state authorities to strengthen institutional frameworks, ensure timely completion of projects, and safeguard the rights and wages of workers under the MNREGA program.
