Singrauli MGNREGS Scandal: 110 Workers Share Same Face in Rs 1.72 Lakh Fraud Probe
In a startling case of alleged digital manipulation emerging from Madhya Pradesh's Singrauli district, 110 workers registered under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), now rebranded as VB-G RAM G, were found to have different names but the exact same face on official government records.
Digital Deception Uncovered in Katdaha Village
Investigations have revealed that photographs of a single individual, captured from various angles, were systematically uploaded against multiple labourers on the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) portal. This irregularity came to light in Katdaha village, which falls under the Deosar Janpad panchayat, during work on an Amrit Sarovar pond project.
Between January 27 and February 2, approximately Rs 1.72 lakh was suspected to be misappropriated through 11 muster rolls. The district administration, acting swiftly on these findings, has attached the village secretary and the concerned sub-engineer to the district panchayat headquarters. Notices have also been issued to other individuals linked to the project.
Conflicting Claims and Official Response
Katdaha sarpanch Dilsharan Singh has ruled out deliberate wrongdoing, suggesting instead that this might be a "technical or server-related error." Singh claims that wages were properly transferred to the actual labourers' bank accounts, despite the identical photographs appearing on the portal. He further alleged that certain local elements filed complaints only after their "undue demands" were not met.
District panchayat CEO Jagdish Kumar Gome provided detailed insights to TOI, explaining that as per norms, uploading workers' photographs on the NMMS portal is mandatory when more than 20 labourers are engaged. "It was apparently found that pictures of one person, taken from different angles, were uploaded against 110 labourers. A total of about Rs 1.72 lakh was misappropriated," Gome stated.
He confirmed that a probe has been constituted and that the village secretary and engineer have been attached to the district panchayat pending investigation. "Whether it was a deliberate irregularity or some technical flaw will be clear once the investigations are over, and action will be decided on the basis of the findings," Gome added.
Potential Outcomes and Next Steps
The district CEO outlined possible scenarios based on the investigation's results. "If it is found that wages were transferred to different persons who actually worked, it may be considered a technical error. If public money was misused, recovery and appropriate legal action will follow. The probe will make things clear," he emphasized.
This incident raises serious questions about the integrity of digital monitoring systems in rural employment schemes and highlights vulnerabilities that could be exploited for financial gain. The ongoing investigation aims to determine whether this was a sophisticated fraud or a genuine technical glitch, with significant implications for accountability and transparency in government projects.
