Aurangabad, May 22:
In a surprising development, a bogus attendance muster mentioning the names of patients undergoing treatment in Covid Care Centre as labourers on road constructed under the Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS) in the jurisdiction of Pachod gram panchayat. It is the native of the state's EGS minister Sandeepan Bhumre.
The NCP leader Datta Gorde demanded an inquiry into the irregularity in the EGS works as the sarpanch of the Pachod GP is the EGS minister's nephew Shivraj Bhumre.
The state government had sanctioned crores of rupees for the welfare of labourers under EGS in Paithan tehsil. However, it has come to notice that the names of big traders, lawyers, former MD of a factory, semi-government employees, income tax-payers have been mentioned as labourers and the money is usurped. When the sensation prevailed, these persons claimed that they are unaware of the irregularity.
Gorde claimed that the Pachod GP constructed the road Beed Bypass to Sajegaon, although it comes under the jurisdiction of Ambad (district Jalna) under EGS. Moreover, no manual labourers were deployed as the total road was constructed using machinery. Sensation prevailed when the Covid patients who were undergoing treatment in the hospital were mentioned as labourers on this EGS road. In addition, big names including one cement and steel trader and income tax-payer from Pachod were mentioned as labourers. Gorde added, many road works were done in Pachod before the election of the gram panchayat. Later on, the same works were shown as done fresh under EGS and the money was embezzled by preparing bogus musters (attendance register).
The EGS minister Sandeepan Bhumre said, " Strict action would be taken against the persons found guilty and if any irregularity is found taken place in the EGS works. Nobody will be spared from the action or will be shielded. The names of some villagers were mentioned in the muster by mistake, but the payment had not been made to them. Many roads are being constructed under EGS in rural parts of the Paithan tehsil."