IMPHAL, May 7: The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guaranteed Scheme (MGREGS) that aims at providing 100 days of job to rural families has remained a flop in the state with people at several areas denied of job cards and pass books issued by the bank or post offices, stated a press statement of the Macha Leima RTI Apunba Nupi Lup.
It has further continued that it came to light after job card holders of Shinga Mathak Leikai under Wangkhem Gram Panchayat, Thoubal district filed RTI pertaining to non-issuance of job cards to them with the help of Macha Leima Leima RTI Apunba Lup.
There has been little change despite repeated warnings to the authority of NREGS, the statement added.
Several individuals namely Ithoi Begum, wife of (L) Md Azad of Wangkhem Muslim Awang Leikai and Mamtaz Begum, wife of Md Jiyauddin of Yairipok Shinga Mathak Leikai had filed a criminal case in the court of Thoubal chief judicial magistrate on February 6, 2012 over the matter, the statement said.
The case was registered against three individuals, namely Abdul Helim, Pradhan, Wangkhem Gram Panchayat, Panchayat secretary, Md Abdul Keiyi and Md Allauddin, Sub-Post Master, Thoubal Post Office, it continued.
The criminal case was filed through lawyers of Human Rights Network with the help of Macha Leima RTI Apunba Nupi Lup pleading for punishment of the trio who allegedly drew the wages of the two appellants by forging their signatures.
A case has been registered with the Yairipok police station under FIR No. 58(4) 2012 against the trio in connection with the misused of wages, but it is quite amazing that the police station has not yet arrested them till now; instead they have been defending the three alleged criminals, it further alleged.
The people are now fed up of police and law courts on account of their irresponsible attitude which makes them to go to the outlawed organizations through the media for they want speedy judgments, it alleged.
It further said, in the circumstances the public do not need to hope anything from the Manipur police, while urging that the wrong doers should be booked immediately and punished for swindling of wages of the poor.
Criminal cases should be filed before the concerned district chief judicial magistrate if any job card holder is found denied job card and in such case where the Panchayat authority misuse wages or secret withdrawal of wages by means of forging signatures of card holders, the RTI Apunba Lup added.