Geo-tagging keeps fraud off MGNREGS

​Kothagudem: There will be no scope for committing fraud in the MGNREGS works in Pinapaka mandal following the introduction of geo-tagging by the Centre to ensure transparency.

It will ensure that the day-wise works are uploaded on to the website by the staff, making it easy for officials to view the status of work from anywhere.

In the past with no supervision of higher officials, there were allegations that people’s representatives were exploiting their power for committing frauds. There were also accusations that workers were not paid on time.

With geo-tagging in place, the works are being taken up in a transparent manner and a new trend has been introduced with the people getting information about various works by click of a mouse. However, there appears to be no scope for identifying the irregularities committed in works last year as also in those completed since 2006.

Several IAS officers pointed out that geo-tagging was introduced with the sole motive of placing details of the MGNREGS works before the people.

Details of works like land development, sapling plantation under Haritha Haram and their protection, construction of latrines/buildings/vermin-compost pits, deepening of water bodies, rainwater harvesting pits, CC roads etc are downloaded by the staff and sent to officials, as also to the website of the National Institute of Rural Development, thus making it easy for anyone to access the information.

A look at the MGNREGS works taken up last year shows that there were 15,909 workers holding job cards in Pinapaka and Kanakaguda mandals. Of them, about 1,200 took up work. As many as 6,596 families were provided jobs (11,159 labourers) for 2016 and 2017, using 2.67 lakh man days.

The labourers were paid Rs 382.73 lakh as wages and Rs 28.38 lakh were spent on tools for launching 3,200 works. Of them, 1,836 works were completed. As many as 287 families in the mandals completed 100 days of work.

On an average, each worker was paid Rs 143.27 paise. Besides, 329 farmers were handed over 1.1 lakh saplings under the Haritha Haram in 2016-17.

Mandal Parishad Development Officer Ramesh told The Hans India that there was no scope for committing fraud with geo-tagging in place as details of works were uploaded before and after their launch at the work spot itself, even while ruling out taking up of the same work elsewhere. Works are done in a transparent manner.