NREGA case: CBI to quiz UP officials

The CBI is to soon question several senior officials of the revenue department of the Uttar Pradesh government as part of its investigations into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of the MGNREGS in the state.

Sources said the agency is now finalising its two chargesheets related to the scam.

Sources said, “The CBI will soon question three senior officials of the revenue department of the state government in connection with the agency’s probe into the implementation of the scheme in Gonda and Mahoba districts.”

The agency has already registered seven FIRs to probe the alleged irregularities in the implementation of the scheme in the state.

The agency had in 2014 registered seven cases to probe irregularities in the implementation of NREGS in seven districts in UP — Balrampur, Gonda, Mahoba, Sonbhadra, Sant Kabir Nagar, Mirzapur and Kushinagar. The FIRs were registered at the direction of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court. The probe period, by the CBI, is between 2007-10. During this period, BSP leader Mayawati was chief minister. Expressing displeasure over corruption in the implementation of the Centrally-sponsored scheme, the Allahabad high court had directed the CBI to probe the allegations of financial irregularities into the use of NREGS funds in seven districts in UP. The court had also directed the agency to conduct inquiry if it finds evidence of corruption in other districts during investigations, sources said.