Madhya Pradesh: Petlawad residents allege anomalies in MGNREGA works

Petlawad (Madhya Pradesh): Local residents in Petlawad, Jhabua district, have complained about major flaws in the implementation of the Centre's flagship programme, the 'MGNREGA' scheme.

Local residents claimed that the construction of an artificial pond in Dhaturiya village at a cost of Rs 10 lakh (under the MGNREGA scheme) was carried out at night using heavy machinery such as excavators and earth movers, leaving job card holders with only one option: migrate from the village in search of employment opportunities.

Residents have filed an application with SDM Anil Rathore, requesting that work be halted and wage labourers be hired. They have now demanded an investigation into the anomalies and harsh punishment for those found guilty.

The SDM promised residents that their grievances would be addressed as soon as possible and that they could check their job cards.

Notably, Petlawad Janpad Panchayat is comprised of 77 gram panchayats. gram panchayats and RES engineers oversee development projects under MGNREGA.

As of now, approximately 4k labourers from various panchayats are said to be engaged in MNREGA-related works, but the majority of labourers are having difficulty finding work and have chosen to migrate from their native villages.

Locals claimed that some middlemen used to withdraw the funds of job card holders by paying a pittance to the actual card holders.