The Karnataka Government is taking action against those involved in irregularities in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, said the State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister, Mr Jagadish Shettar.

The Government has disposed of 1,432 complaints out of the 1,720 received, said the Minister.

Mr Shettar said, “Based on the complaints and subsequent inquiry, disciplinary action has been initiated against 256 Government employees and 157 employees have been placed under suspension. Criminal cases have been registered against 189 persons including 48 gram panchayat presidents.”

The irregularities in the implementation of the scheme had come down following stringent action by the Government and appointment of ombudsmen.

“Ombudsmen have been appointed in 13 districts and we have initiated the process to appoint ombudsmen for the remaining districts also,” he said.

The Minister said steps would be initiated to appoint technical assistants and accounts assistants to gram panchayats in districts where it was found necessary.

The minister said efforts are on to replicate the successful models under the rural employment Act including the one from Dharwad district in other districts of the state.

Mr Shettar said that like the successful model of raising rose garden under the scheme, there were few more successful models from other States that would be income generating endeavours also.

Earlier he addressed the two-day State Peer Learning Workshop. “During the two-day workshop, such successful models including that of were discussed. For example timber nurseries and nurseries of rare medicinal plants have been developed in the tribal district of Dang in Gujarat and similarly flood proofing mechanism has been created in the flood prone Uttarkhand under the MGNREGA. We plan to follow similar models depending on the requirement and viability of such models in the state also,” he added.

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