AGARTALA, December 15 (TIWN): TRIPURAINFOWAY was first to publish news that BDOs of all the districts have been threatening the Panchayat Secretaries, GRS and Sector Engineers that their pay will be held up if they fail to generate man-days within this month. On 7th December TIWN published a special news on this issue indicating that after the Bimal Chakraborty episode many officials are working under pressure from ruling party leaders. But there are some honest officials who hardly bend their heads easily to the footmarks of CPI(M) leaders. And a MEMO issued by the BDO, Khowai R D Block Utpal Chakraborty clearly states that a majority of Govt officials are not listening to the instructions of the political leaders and even Ministers blindly. In his MEMO No.F.1(1)/BDO/KHW/ESTT/2013/3713-3800 dated 08/12/2014 BDO Utpal Chakraborty specifically mentioned the name of Rural Development Minister Naresh Jamatia's name saying," .. The matter has been taken very seriously by the Hon'ble R D Minister.He has expressed his dissatisfaction over the performance of the block. He has also instructed the Undersigned over telephone on 8th December 2014 to stop salary of all Panchayat Secretary GRS & Sector Engineer of the Panchayats which has below average mandays than the block average.

     The salary of Panchayat Secretary , GRS & Sector Engineer will be held up if the mandays generation of the concerned Panchayat is below block average... ...."  This MEMO is itself a proof of how the Ministers influence upon the govt officials to carry out their orders  no matter how illegal these orders are. But after the Bishalgarh R D Blocks Rs 50 crore scam was unearthed and even after his political influence and too much inclination to Chief Minister Manik Srakar, Bimal Chakraborty is now spending his days and nights behind the bars since 23rd October ( Diwali Day). And the lions share of Govt officials are now scared of doing anything illegal even after verbal instruction from heavyweight ruling party leaders.

              Speaking to TIWN on this issue over phone on Sunday night a top level Govt official said," We have informed all the govt officials (unofficially) not to do anything under political pressure. After what is happening with Bimal Chakraborty, once known for his intimacy with Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, no one is trustworthy. Even after our instruction if any administrator or govt official like to be a puppet of the ruling party, then he she has to blame  only himself/herself.

Now we have to think to save our service first than to be a puppet in the hands of political personalities." There is no denying of the fact that Bimal Chakraborty episode is a great learning lesson for all govt officials. His fate shows that in time of crisis political leaders will remove the 'hands of blessings'. And as a result of it most of the officials are now strict in following rules and regulations. Utpal Chakraborty is also known as an honest and young official.  A state govt official told this correspondent over phone," What the BDO did was absolutely correct. It was a great decision on his part to categorically mention the about the telephonic instructions given by the R D Minister Naresh Jamatia regarding the lay held up. Otherwise the MGNREGA grass root employees would have thought that BDO is doing injustice with them. But now even if the Minister wants to take revenge on Utpal Chakraborty , the BDO can approach the High Court and prove that Naresh Jamatia indeed told this to him over phone. Honestly speaking most of the officials are now making an attempt to record their telephonic conversations with political personalities so that in time of danger, they can use these recordings as proof. "

         Meanwhile as soon as this MEMO got leaked in media, discussion isbnownon as to whether the R D Minister was right in his approach . As per protocol Naresh Jamatia should have told this to the higher officials of his department and they should send the said instruction to the concerned BDO through DM or SDM. But in the long domination of LF regime, rules and regulations are often violated and even the govt machineries are often used for the ruling party's political gain. It was an intelligent attempt on the part of BDO Utapal Chakraborty that he mentioned R D Minister's telephonic instruction.

Actually BDO did what law permits him to do. While giving a verdict on 31st October 2013 the Division of the Supreme Court comprising Justice K S Radhakrishnan and Justice P C  Ghosh said," Govt officials should  not obey the verbal order of political leaders, Ministers, Peoples' Representatives. Even if there is a reason to follow these instructions,  offcials are to mention in their MEMO, letters or orders about the verbal instructions of leaders or ministers and then after they can issue such MEMO or letters." In this particular issue  Utpal Chakraborty was aware of that judgement of the Supreme Court and quite intelligently he mentioned the R D Minister's verbal instruction in his MEMO .

             However, this MEMO clearly bring about the irregularities in which the govt officials are involved( in most cases unintentionally and under political pressure). In recent months Tripura High Court has come out strongly against the state govt and its irregularities. And after the leakage of the BDO Khowai's MEMO several questions have definitely started to arise:-

1) Will the HC ask the R D Minister to explain his stand ?

2) Will the higher officials of the R D Department also be asked to explain?

3) Will this be not seen as a violation of the responsibilities imposed upon a Minister?

4) Hasn't the R D Minister misused his power by giving this verbal instruction?

5) Will the Chief Minister Manik Sarkar again come out bursting against media for publishing this new ' Illegal Initiative' taken by none other than a colleague in his cabinet?

TRIPURAINFOWAY.com's earlier news published on  December 7 :

www.tripurainfoway.com/news-details/TN/15460/another-attempt-to-loot-mgnrega-fund-bdos-instructing-grassroot-employees-to-generate-man-days-violating-act-pay-held-up-against-many-in-state.html

              Even after the massive MGNREGA scam of Rs 50 crore in Bishalgarh R D Block in which six employees including highly influential BDO com Manik Sarkar's close aide TCS officer Bimal Chakraborty( brother of DYFI State Secretary Amal Chakraborty) is now in jail custody, many officials are still making another horrible attempt to produce blue print for another looting of MGNREGA fund paving the way for massive increase in ruling party's fund . It is learnt from a highly placed sources in state govt that from Dharmanagar to Sabroom in most of the blocks BDOs are now instructing the grassroot employees to generate man days and thereby submit utilization reports within 10 days. However, in most of the blocks grass roots employees like Engineers and Gram Rozgar Sevaks(GRS) are not abiding the instructions of the concerning BDOs as they know that if Audit is conducted, their lives will be under serious trouble.

To make the matter worse a Central Team is now visiting Tripura to investigate actual output of MGNREGA funds allocated during the last few years. It is suspected that after the large scale discoveries of scams under MGNREGA, NRHM, RMSA, SSA sections, Centre has sent the team to make independent investigation into the scams already published in local and national media. And this has blown the bugle of panic in the state administration. And not surprisingly the grassroot employees of MGNREGA( who are mostly contractual) are now scared that if they submit fake utilization reports without any constructions even undertaken, they are likely to face termination from their jobs. Many of them today have spoken to Tripura Infoway correspondant .

All of them held held the same view," What can we do ? BDOs are instructing us to submit utilization report but DMs are instructing to follow rules and regulations strictly. And if we follow rules and regulations we cannot submit reports before the actual completion of the works. Here again arises another problem. Some of our employees are now sacred as their salary has been held up by the BDOs. Recently even Principal Secretary of Rural Development Department instructed all the contractual employees of MGNREGA to see so that the rules and regulations of MGNREGA Act 2005 are not violated. "

         At the same time the grassroot workers are also in a dilemma about the continuous pressure from the BDOs. Often it is seen that under the instruction of BDOs the grass root employees are to carry on the work and also to submit the reports. But whenever there is any complain, the same BDOs issue Show Cause notices to the grassroot employees. And as a result of it they become the victims. The Bimal Chakraborty episode has given a warning signal to all the employees

 Now it is clear that though the BDOs are to act under pressure from CPI(M) party leaders but in time of crisis no leader comes to the rescue of the officials. Yet there are some officials whose main intention is to please the Melarmath and its branch units. And thus, process of MGNREGA looting continues.