Question : PURCHASE OF CEMENT AND SAND

 

(a) the amount spent on the purchase of cement, stone and sand during each of the last three years including current year under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS);

(b) the amount received as royalty by the State Governments for the said purchase of materials;

(c) whether the Government has received complaints of fake purchase of cement, stone and sand under the said scheme;

(d) if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the action taken by the Government in the matter?  

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI PRADEEP JAIN ‘ADITYA’) 

(a): Under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) Central Government bears the entire expenditure on payment of wages at notified wage rates to unskilled manual workers. The cost of material component of projects including the wages of the skilled and semi-skilled workers taken up under the Scheme shall not exceed forty per cent of the total project costs. 75% of such material cost, including wages of skilled and semiskilled workers, is also borne by the Central Government. The details of expenditure on purchase of cement, stone and sand separately out of the material cost under MGNREGA are not maintained by the Ministry or reported by States/UTs. However the details of total expenditure on materials as reported by States/UTs for the period 2009-10 onwards are given in Annexure.

(b): Information regarding royalty received by States/UTs Governments on purchase of materials is not maintained by the Ministry.

(c) to (e): The Ministry receives a large number of complaints of all types about implementation of MGNREGA in the country. The complaints mainly relate to cases of job cards not provided, misappropriation of funds, engagement of contractors, forgery of muster roll, manipulation in job cards, under payment of wages, non-payment of wages, corruption and other irregularities, use of machinery, delay in payments etc. No separate information regarding fake purchase of materials is compiled among such complaints. All complaints received in the Ministry are forwarded to the concerned State Governments for taking appropriate action, including investigation, as per law as implementation of MGNREGA is done by the State Governments in accordance with the Schemes formulated by them as per the provisions of the Act. National Level Monitors (NLMs) are also deputed by the Ministry in complaints of serious nature and their reports are analyzed and findings are forwarded to the concerned State Governments for taking corrective measures. The Ministry has been reminding State Governments about their duty under the Act to have the serious complaints investigated and take necessary action and to ensure that in cases of mis-appropriation and embezzlement of Government funds not only disciplinary action should be taken against the guilty officials but simultaneously criminal prosecution should also be initiated under Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act, besides recovering the amount involved from the persons concerned in accordance with law.