Jairam Ramesh writes to Mayawati again on irregularities in NREGA

NEW DELHI: In a move that will ratchet up the already heated confrontation between the Centre and Uttar Pradesh, rural development minister Jairam Ramesh has written a second letter to UP chief minister Mayawati about the financial irregularities in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in the state. Going beyond his October-end letter, Ramesh has named officials found guilty by the probe report.

Ramesh has provided detailed information about the embezzlement and misutilisation of funds earmarked for the rural employment guarantee scheme in seven districts — Balrampur, Gonda, Mahoba, Sonbhadra, Sant Kabir Nagar and Mirzapur.

In a 14-page letter, the minister provides detailed accounts of corrupt officials and public authorities involved in the embezzlement of funds. Ramesh writes: “It is regrettable that despite the findings of a probe report three years ago, no person has been punished for irregularities committed in 2007-08.”

Ramesh has asked Mayawati that if she is indeed serious about tackling misutilisation and embezzlement of public funds then she should allow for a CBI inquiry in these seven districts.

Ramesh wrote: “If the state is serious about dealing with corruption complex, and wants to send a message to the people that it is not interested in saving the people involved in misappropriating exchequer’s funds earmarked for government programmes, then I request you to allow for a CBI enquiry in these seven districts.”

Reminding Mayawati of her avowed commitment to come down on the guilty with “a heavy hand”, Ramesh wrote: “You would remember that some 19 months ago, on March 30, 2010, you had announced, with much fanfare at a press briefing and later through a written press statement that anyone found to be committing financial irregularities would be severely dealt with.

What is even more regrettable is that at this press conference, you had specifically named the Gonda district’s chief welfare officer Raj Bahadur as guilty of financial malfeasance.”