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SumitSinghRathore
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Graft kills projects for parched areas
Name of dead people found in workers' rolls, funds given for non-existent water bodies.
Corrupt officials have scripted a tragic end to the 3.860 corer anti- poverty project sanctioned by the Center in 2010 for lasting a solution to the socio-economic problems in the six parched and backward districts in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh. the blatant corruption unearthed during random inspection has left investigators shocked with names of dead people appearing in the workers' rolls. Vehicles listed in records as tractors and earth movers for transporting gravel and other construction material were found to be cars and bikes. Similarly,development money was released for non-existent water bodies. "In Panna district, random physical verification of nine watershed projects revealed massive corruption. Five out of nine watershed structures were never constructed though the amount was spent," said a report by the state government's chief technical examiner (CTE) (vgilance) R.K. Mehra.
In these mine watershed projects, an amount of 6 corer was spent, out of which 2.70 corer was embezzled.Payments were found to be made to people who had died years back, the report said."Twenty-three vehicles which were shown as tractors and earth movers were found to be motor cycles, scooters, auto rickshaws and cars,"the report said. The probe findings have sparked an outrage in the region, forcing the state government to freeze pension of engineers involved in corruption. The then UPA government at the Center had announced a 7.286 corer special package for development of the whole regions of Bundelkhand, comprising six districts in MP and seven districts in Uttar Pradesh, in 2009.