Gandaturum: Even as the state government and the Centre spend crores of rupees on social forestry programmes in the district, severe irregularities have come to fore in Gandaturum forest under Bheden block of Bargarh district, an OP investigation has revealed.
According to sources, skilled and unskilled workers are engaged in rearing saplings, plants and maintaining them. Some forest officials in supervisory posts have included some fake names of labourers to embezzle funds, it is alleged.
Some officials in-charge of social forestry work in Bargarh district under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) are said to have siphoned money from accounts of impersonated workers.
A fake muster roll containing names of 30 workers was prepared in February last year out of which six workers were actually engaged in the work.
At the time of withdrawal of money from bank accounts, the account holders were paid a nominal amount of Rs 200 per person and the remaining wages were being embezzled by forest officials.
Some of the impersonated workers are genuine farmers and others are trainee teachers. Also, a few enlisted persons are employed as drivers elsewhere and a few others are college student.
A worker who did not want to be named has revealed that one forest official has embezzled 17 bags of fertilizers. About 3,200 saplings including teak, amla, bamboo, eucalyptus, Radhachuda, Gulmohur, Sal and Chakunda were grown on 16 beds on Gandaturum forest office premises.
The daily wagers who should have been paid Rs 280 each per day were paid Rs 200 since February last year. They were paid their legitimate dues in August after some of them complained about the anomaly.
On being contacted, Forester in-charge Dhyanchand Jhankar said, he was not bothered about media reports. “Newspaper reporters may write whatever they you wish to write”.
However, Divisional Forest Officer Sandeep Ratik said, “Only two workers have brought this complaint to me. We will investigate the matter before taking stringent action against the guilty.”