to Village Jharua in Manika Block of Latehar - Ministry of Rural ...

those who had not worked were also included in the Muster Roll and the money would be
pocketed by the contractor in collusion with corrupt officials and others. The workers would
also be paid less at the rate of Rs.90/- instead of Rs. 120 and that too payment would be made
after a long time. Some of the villagers were acting as contractors or their agents and were
against her deceased brother. Her deceased brother Niyamat Ansari protested against such
acts of corruption along with one Bhukhan Kharwar and other members of Gram Swaraj.
Mossamat Saida Beebe further added that her deceased brother also took up the cases of such
persons who had constructed huts on the forest land and had been living there for long time.
Regarding the incident, she said, on the day of the occurrence some 12-15 individuals, some
of them armed with guns came very quietly. One of them pointed a gun at her and asked her
the location of the deceased Niyamat Ansari to which she replied that he was not at home.
The assailants told her that they had been informed of his presence on mobile and they knew
that he was there in the house. The deceased Niyamat Ansari hid under a bundle of a stalks of
maize but was detected by the assailants who forcibly dragged him out of his house and tied
his hands. The deceased Niyamat Ansari pleaded that he only works for the poor and he was
not at fault but they paid no heed to his pleas. She tried to follow him but they threatened to
shoot her and she had to return. The assailants then beat up the deceased with lathis and his
cries could be heard for a long time. When the cries subsided and the assailants had left she
reached the spot with the wife of the deceased and other family members and found him lying
unconscious. The deceased expired before he could be taken to hospital.
11. Mossamat Nuroosha Bibi, wife of the deceased Niyamat Ansari aged about 35
years stated that on the day of the incident her deceased husband Niyamat came home,
changed his shirt pant and started teaching their son. Suddenly in the evening somebody
came to our house and said “Kiwari kholo, garjion ko nikalo. She supported the statements of
Hadeesh Mian and Mossamat Saida Bibi. She further stated that the deceased had inherited
some landed property from his in-laws who had only daughters and had sold off the same.
He had undertaken construction of a one room house at Latehar which was incomplete for
want of resources. She also stated that her son was studying at DAV Latehar.
12. Ms Shyama Singh of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Sahayata Kendra which functioned
under the aegis of Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, a nation-wide movement for empowerment stated
that she had been associated with the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan since 2001 along with the
deceased Niyamat Ansari. She is a resident of Village Sadhawadih of Manika Block, a 12 th
Pass and has been working in around 22 villages. Ms Shyama Singh alleged widespread
corruption in implementation of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Programmes as also other
Programmes of the Government in the District namely, fudging of muster rolls, fake works
(only on papers), withdrawal of money under fake signatures in Post Office etc. She said that
prior to start of MGNREGA scheme, there was less threat to work for her in that area mainly
arising from the Social Security Scheme and PDS shopkeepers. However, since the inception
of NREGA, the threats have increased manifold. She said that Arun Singh is one of the
contractors who used to operate 2-3 years back in that area. Once he had taken contracts of
three MGNREGA works, one under his name and the other two in the name of his wife and
son. She also mentioned that a fraud has taken place in the Scheme of pond construction in
Banerchaunn, Village Lanka of Gram Panchayat, Rankikala, no actual work has been done
against that scheme and payment of around Rs. 1.58 lakhs has been withdrawn. They came
to know when few labourers of another area also called Banerchaun in Koyli Village of the
same Gram Panchayat came to her and said that there have been no payments given to them
for six months. She took up the matter to BPO office. The then BPO said that the last BDO
has embezzled a sum of around Rs. 14 lakh, so he was unable to make this payment. Then
they took up the matter to DC, Latehar and finally a Joint Audit Committee was constituted
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