Mon Apr 07 14:39:59 UTC 2025: **Madurai Residents Accuse MGNREGA Officials of Fraud**
MADURAI, April 7, 2025 – Residents of Katchaikatti village in Vadipatti taluk, Madurai district, have accused local officials of widespread fraud in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). A petition submitted to Collector M.S. Sangeetha on Monday alleges that the overseer is falsifying attendance records using the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS), claiming payment for absent workers while shortchanging those who did work.
Villagers claim the overseer uses the same photographs repeatedly on the NMMS application, falsely registering the attendance of individuals not present at work sites. This, they allege, allows the overseer to embezzle funds intended for workers’ wages. They also reported that while the official daily wage is ₹319, workers often receive only ₹230-₹250, while those falsely registered receive the full amount.
Further allegations include the misuse of ₹7.1 lakh on heavy equipment for a cement check dam project, a violation of MGNREGA regulations prohibiting such equipment. The petitioners claim similar irregularities have been detected in five villages within the Vadipatti union. They suspect the fraud involves officials at various levels, from the village level to the Block Development Officer. The total amount embezzled is believed to be in the lakhs, and the villagers are demanding a thorough investigation into the alleged widespread corruption.
First Piper 