NREG row: IAS officers line up behind DC

The stand-off between Bokaro Deputy Commissioner and some of the ruling combine leaders is snowballing into a major controversy

The stand-off between Bokaro Deputy Commissioner and some of the ruling combine leaders is snowballing into a major controversy with the Jharkhand unit of the IAS Officers’ Association (IASOA) deciding to convene its general body meeting here tomorrow to chalk out its course of action.

On Wednesday, the Bokaro district administration filed an FIR against two MPs and two MLAs of the ruling UPA for obstructing Government officials from carrying out their duty. The legislators are Congress MP Chandra Shekhar Dubey; its MLA Israel Ansari; Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP Teklal Mahato; and its MLA Jagannath Mahato. They were booked under

Section 353 of the IPC. According to the FIR, they along with their supporters tried to lock the office of Bokaro Deputy Commissioner Sunil Kumar.

At the heart of the matter is the issue of sanctioning schemes under the National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREG) plan. While the legislators allege misappropriation of funds, the DC says they want their prior sanction for the schemes, which he is not required to do officially.

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“What has happened with Kumar is extremely distressing. It is indicative of a very dangerous trend. We have to ensure that law takes its own course,” IASOA Jharkhand unit’s secretary R S Sharma told The Indian Express on Thursday.

Under the NREG plan, the Bokaro district administration had undertaken 1400 schemes worth Rs 13 crore for digging ponds and wells in the current financial year. During a meeting to assess the impact of the scheme, Dubey and Mahato, backed by Ansari and Mahato, alleged that the DC had not taken their permission to sanction these schemes. “We have records to show, he was siphoning off NREG fund,” alleged Dubey who represents Dhanbad (Bokaro) in the Lok Sabha.

In response, Kumar had shot off a letter to Chief Secretary (acting) A K Chugh saying NREG did not have any provision whereby he was required to take their consent in sanctioning schemes.

“They misbehaved with me and used derogatory language against me in the meeting,” stated Kumar’s letter of July 3. The incident of the leaders and their supporters trying to lock Kumar’s office occurred the following day.

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After the filing of the FIR against them on Wednesday, Ansari and Mahato threatened to launch an agitation against the DC. Dubey went on to tell the media that Kumar would be ousted from Bokaro. “We will launch an indefinite dharna if he was not transferred immediately,” said Dubey.

Executive members of the IASOA, on the other hand, in a meeting here on Wednesday night passed a resolution condemning the “unsubstantiated allegations” against the DC.