MGNREGA’s work card is generated in the name of the late villagers in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh; Detection order

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The alleged fraudulent scheme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) plan has been revealed in a village in Sambar, Uttar Pradesh, where more than a dozen people were workers and whose wages were withdrawn under their name.

“The scam was unearthed in Atarasi Village in the Pavasa neighborhood of Sambar area,” officials said. Sunita Yadav, the current rural head, was accused of producing work cards in the name of the deceased villagers and withdrawing wages by mistakenly showing “completed” wages on paper.

The regional government confirmed that an investigation was underway and began to recover from the rural head. “My notice caught my attention about seven months ago,” Sambar District Magistrate Judge Rajendra Pensiya told reporters.

He added: “When the amount of theft in any case is less than 10%, we will recover from the officials concerned. In this case, Rs 1.05 lakh was found to be misappropriated. Recovery was carried out from the village head. Other development projects in the village are also under investigation.” Among those listed as workers, the principal of an international college.

Rishipal Singh, head of Mulayam Singh Yadav Inter College, said: “I made a work card in my name without my knowledge. I never worked under Mgnrega’s leadership, but my name appeared on the record and the money was withdrawn. During the investigation, I was even asked to ask.”

“My grandfather Jagat Singh died in 2020. We didn’t know that the salary was withdrawn by his name. We only found when and when officials came to the village to investigate. We heard that worksheets were created under the names of nearly twelve dead.”

The main complainant in the case, Nirmal Das, claimed that even the work card was made in the name of the village chief’s late father-in-law and several of her family. “The government funds are withdrawn in the name of fake workers. Some of them no longer live in villages. But their identities are used to divest funds,” Darth said.

MGNREGA is a central government initiative that provides at least 100 days of guaranteed employment for rural families whose adult members volunteer to engage in unskilled manual work in rural areas.