This story is from July 30, 2021

NRG in Sydney digs pond in Kheda village

Another chapter has been added to the scam-book of MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee act) scheme in Gujarat.
NRG in Sydney digs pond in Kheda village
Representative image
AHMEDABAD: Another chapter has been added to the scam-book of MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee act) scheme in Gujarat.
This time, an NRG (non-resident Gujarati) who has been working in Sydney since 2012, was found to have dug a pond in his native Alindra village in Nadiad taluka of Kheda district.
1

Arpit Patel, 30, who works for a private firm in Sydney, and his family members — father Dinesh Patel, 59, who works for a dairy; mother Jayshree Patel, 56, a home-maker, and Arpit’s elder brother, Kinjal, 33, a computer teacher — have been listed as MGNREA labourers.

According to MGNREGA documents, they registered in 2012, which was the year Arpit migrated to Australia. Since then, the family has worked for about 184 days under MGNREGA, digging a pond and earned around Rs 96,000.
The sarpanch of Alindra village Rajnikant Patel confessed that this irregularity existed, calling it a mistake.
“We noticed the irregularity four days ago when the district development officer (DDO) ordered an inquiry in the case. Arpit, who had migrated to Australia, has been named as labourer, but it was been found that he and his family members had been registered as MGNREGA labourers. It was a mistake by the village administration,” said Patel.

DDO M K Dave said he has ordered an inquiry in the case and suspects that many more irregularities would be unearthed.
“The inquiry will be completed in a week or so after which legal action will be taken against the accused persons,” said Dave.
Arpit’s brother Kinjal could not be contacted despite several attempts.
Earlier, a massive MGNREGA scam had been unearthed in August and September 2020, where dead persons, doctors, government servants, cops and even schoolchildren were shown as MGNREGA labourers.
author
About the Author
Bharat Yagnik

Bharat Yagnik is special correspondent at The Times of India, Ahmedabad, and reports on education-related issues, including primary school and higher and technical education. His interest areas include travelling and has recently been to Mansarovar.

End of Article
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA