What is shameful is that the MLAs lent full throated support to this corrupt gang in the state assembly, and the House had to be adjourned for the day. But more shocking is the lack of clarity and firmness on the part of the Congress government to assert that corruption will not be tolerated. The question is: Will Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his team allow the successes achieved in the working of the NREG to be sabotaged?

The drama started sometime back when the village sarpanches violently opposed social audit by the NGOs of the handling of the money meant for the payment of fair wages to the poor and jobless village workers for the 100 days of work. The social audit done last year in Bilwara had exposed the bunglings in the work and in spending huge money on the direct purchases of material hurriedly made by the sarpanches, making commissions and kickbacks. Irked over the exposure, the village sarpanches, with the open support of MLAs, and district officials, succeeded in throwing the NGOs out and in getting the government ban on social audit.

Emboldened by this success in pursuing the corrupt aims, this gang organised a huge protest march by the village sarpanches in Jaipur when the assembly session was on. These sarpanches now want more powers to make direct purchases of building material needed for work under the NREG. There is money in these direct programmes which are made in relaxation of the rules. The MLAs belonging to the BJP and others supported the demand and condemned police lathicharge on the violent mob of sarpanches who wanted to enter the assembly precincts and present a memorandum to the Chief Minister.

The other and dirtier scene of the drama of the corrupt is the part played by the officials, who have no fear of adverse action for their misdeeds. The latest example came from a village in Tonk where the poor villagers who had worked under NREG were paid at the unbelievably low rare of Re. 1 day! And all this is on record. Not in one case. But to about 90 villagers. And as per rules, the shockingly low wages at the rate of Re.1 were credited to the bank account of these illiterate workers. The minimum wage guaranteed under the law is Rs 75 a day. All this with direct involvement and consent of the sarpanches, the block level officer and even the direct collector of Tonk, who is required by the law to supervise the work and timely payment of wages through the bank account.

The irony is that the earlier system of cash payment of wages was abandoned when instances came of cut-money by officials and others while disbursing wages to the workers. Instead, the scheme of payment through bank accounts was adopted. But the corrupt officials and sarpanches have found their way, as they knew nothing would happen even if the irregularity is detected. And this is what has now happened. A few low rank officials have been suspended by the State government. That's all - and perhaps the end of action.

This is not the first time that corruption in the payment of wages has come to notice. Earlier, between April and June this year, payments at the low rate of Rs 7 to Rs 25 were made to the poor villagers. It is not that the state government is unaware of the extent of corruption. The Principal Secretary admitted that in one case, bungling of Rs 6.19 crore were detected as a result of inquiry. Will the central government give a jolt to the state, and save the villagers of this exploitation by the State. (IPA)