This is just in one state alone !
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A one-man fact-finding committee has found serious irregularities in the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) in UP.

An estimated Rs 850 crore has either been siphoned or misused by state officials.

“There are serious irregularities in the implementation of the scheme in 34 of 71 districts in the state,” Central Employment Guarantee Council member Sanjay Dixit, who filed the report, said.

“On an average, every district uses Rs 100 crore under the scheme. Out of this about Rs 25 crore is being misused,” said Dixit. “The Centre has already issued warnings to the state government to block funds to two erring districts.”

In many districts, officials used JCB machines (trucks used for construction work) to carry out work, instead of employing card-holders who had been guaranteed jobs under the scheme; in some districts, officials bought goods such as toys, tricycles and tents using NREGA funds, the report says.

In Mahoba district, only 10 per cent of saplings, required to be planted by NREGA card-holders, were planted in the Ukhara village panchayat, the report says.

As the UPA government celebrated the fourth year of the NREGA on Tuesday — many political observes believe the flagship scheme paid Congress political dividends in last year’s Lok Sabha polls — the scheme has hardly taken-off in UP.