CBI unearths scam in NREGS
Postmasters siphoned off money meant for thousands of rural workers
By : u sudhakar reddy
Update: 2014-08-02 01:00 GMT
Hyderabad: The CBI has unearthed a scam in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme involving the postal department and state revenue officials.
Postmasters siphoned off money meant for thousands of rural workers. They also created fake work records and Rs 44 lakh was swindled through this. The fraud took place in Balanagar of Mahbubnagar district.
The CBI is suspecting similar frauds in other areas too. NREGS wages are paid through post offices.
The CBI has registered a case against Balanagar sub post officer Ragiri Srinivasulu of Mahbubnagar district for allegedly swindling Rs 20 lakh. He had siphoned off the money showing it as wages under the NREGS scheme in the period from May 2010 to April 2012.
As the villagers gave a statement that no work was done the CBI is suspecting the involvement of revenue officials at the mandal level.
“Mandal revenue officials and postal officials were preparing fake vouchers and submitting them to the postal department to collect money. Actually no work was done on the ground,” said a CBI source.