A massive scam under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has been unearthed in Demdema Block of Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district. The verification drive, led by the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO), revealed extensive irregularities in job card issuance and fund disbursement.
Initiated under the directive of the Sub-Divisional Officer of Dadenggre and executed by BDO Cheman D. Shira, the door-to-door inspection exposed systemic fraud. CoMSO, alongside grassroots organisations including GSMC, GSU Chibinang Unit, NGCO, and GFA, played a central role in identifying anomalies. The probe uncovered cases where single households held up to seven job cards—grossly violating MGNREGS norms that allow only one card per family. Shockingly, some cards were issued without mandatory approval, while minors were also listed as beneficiaries.
In a glaring example, Charbatapara village saw its number of job card holders rise from 949 in 2022–23 to 1,991 in 2024–25, raising red flags over inflated data to siphon funds. CoMSO has demanded an immediate suspension of MGNREGS payments for FY 2024–25 until all job cards are verified, and called for an independent audit and legal action against those involved.