10 govt officials held for misappropriating NREGA fund

Ten government officials, including Mandal Parishad Development Officers (MPDOs) and revenue staff, were arrested in Kurnool district for allegedly misappropriating NREGA funds to the tune of several lakhs, police said.

The accused, including MPDOs M Umamaheshwaramma and Chandra Sekaraiah and other revenue officials, conspired, committed cheating and criminal breach of trust with an intention to gain wrongfully by withdrawing amounts in the names of benami persons, CID Additional DG T Krishna Prasad said today. The accused issued double job cards, besides issuing cards to students, employees and in the name of dead persons and thus misappropriated funds sanctioned under National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA).

They caused huge financial loss running in several lakhs to the government exchequer and also fraudulently cheated the poor wage seekers of Banvasi village under Yemmiganur mandal in Kurnool, he said. The CID took up investigations into the case in November last year and has so far arrested 10 government officials, Prasad said. The evidence collected so far has proved misappropriation
to the tune of Rs 23 lakhs and investigation is in progress to unearth further irregularities.

More arrests will be made as and when the evidence is collected against other accused, he said.