The Times of India: Jaipur: Friday, March 23, 2012.
When the entire country was celebrating the anniversary of UPA government's flagship programme, MGNREGA, on February 2 this year, Dhuraram Kulriya, a whistleblower of the scheme and an RTI activist, was attacked and beaten black and blue in Somalsar village at Nokha block of Bikaner by the son of the sarpanch there and his men.
Fifty days later, Dhuramram is still in hospital, nursing the nine fractures that he sustained in the attack by Bhagwanaram, son of the sarpanch of Somalsar, and his men while the attackers are roaming scot free despite an FIR against 16 people in the case and a letter written by the victim to chief minister Ashok Gehlot apprising him of the facts.
"Even today, I shudder whenever Bhagwana and his men walk past my shop near Nokha. They are a constant threat to me and my family," says Bhanwarlal, son of Dhuraram. The youth was speaking at a congregation of MGNREGA workers from across the state here at the Udyog maidan on Thursday.
The gathering is the last ditch effort for saving the employment generation scheme from what otherwise looks to be dying a natural death in Rajasthan, the activists said at the meet.
"Dhuraram through his complaint brought to light a Rs 4 crore scam in MGREGA work in Nokha block. The incident once again illustrates the unabated trend of violent attacks on anybody who tries to raise voice against big corruption going on in MGNREGA," says Nikhil Dey of the Suchna Evum Rozgar Ka Adhikar Abhiyan.
Coincidentally, present at the gathering was Manglaram Meghwal, a dalit RTI activist from the Bamnore village under the Dhorimanna panchayat samiti in Barmer. Manglaram was severely beaten up on March 3, 2011 by sarpanch Ghulam Shah and his men for seeking information under the RTI Act. Soon after the incident, the government had sent a team to conduct a special audit of the village and found misappropriation of Rs 10 lakh in the MGNREGA work there.
"But till now, there has been no action against the accused," Manglaram said at the meeting. It is with these and a lot more cases that the Abhiyan on Thursday met chief minister Ashok Gehlot. Among the demands were those to immediately form an independent social audit directorate, action against accused in the misappropriation of Rs 90 lakh during the Bhilwara audit in 2009, action against five IAS officers for wrong purchase under MGNREGA, receipts to be given on demand of work, work on demand.
"MGNREGA was first initiated in Rajasthan. We had first felt the need of the scheme as we realized that there was no work in villages and people have to migrate. It helped a lot to neutralize the global meltdown. But in Rajasthan, the government seems neither interested in it nor wanted to have answerability for it," said Aruna Roy of the Abhiyan.
Fifty days later, Dhuramram is still in hospital, nursing the nine fractures that he sustained in the attack by Bhagwanaram, son of the sarpanch of Somalsar, and his men while the attackers are roaming scot free despite an FIR against 16 people in the case and a letter written by the victim to chief minister Ashok Gehlot apprising him of the facts.
"Even today, I shudder whenever Bhagwana and his men walk past my shop near Nokha. They are a constant threat to me and my family," says Bhanwarlal, son of Dhuraram. The youth was speaking at a congregation of MGNREGA workers from across the state here at the Udyog maidan on Thursday.
The gathering is the last ditch effort for saving the employment generation scheme from what otherwise looks to be dying a natural death in Rajasthan, the activists said at the meet.
"Dhuraram through his complaint brought to light a Rs 4 crore scam in MGREGA work in Nokha block. The incident once again illustrates the unabated trend of violent attacks on anybody who tries to raise voice against big corruption going on in MGNREGA," says Nikhil Dey of the Suchna Evum Rozgar Ka Adhikar Abhiyan.
Coincidentally, present at the gathering was Manglaram Meghwal, a dalit RTI activist from the Bamnore village under the Dhorimanna panchayat samiti in Barmer. Manglaram was severely beaten up on March 3, 2011 by sarpanch Ghulam Shah and his men for seeking information under the RTI Act. Soon after the incident, the government had sent a team to conduct a special audit of the village and found misappropriation of Rs 10 lakh in the MGNREGA work there.
"But till now, there has been no action against the accused," Manglaram said at the meeting. It is with these and a lot more cases that the Abhiyan on Thursday met chief minister Ashok Gehlot. Among the demands were those to immediately form an independent social audit directorate, action against accused in the misappropriation of Rs 90 lakh during the Bhilwara audit in 2009, action against five IAS officers for wrong purchase under MGNREGA, receipts to be given on demand of work, work on demand.
"MGNREGA was first initiated in Rajasthan. We had first felt the need of the scheme as we realized that there was no work in villages and people have to migrate. It helped a lot to neutralize the global meltdown. But in Rajasthan, the government seems neither interested in it nor wanted to have answerability for it," said Aruna Roy of the Abhiyan.
.JPG)
.JPG)
