NREGA: DM stops salaries for lack of progress

Unhappy over the tardy progress of rural employment guarantee scheme in the district, the district magistrate here has stopped drawing his salary and also withheld salaries of several senior officials responsible for its implementation.

"DM Niteshwar Kumar had last month stopped the payment of salaries to the respective block development officers over lack of progress in the implementation of the NREGS but that did not have the desired effect," assistant district magistrate  Vanshgopal Maurya said in Pratapgarh on Friday.

"So, in order to amount pressure on the officials and staff, the DM also stopped payment of salaries to chief development officer, project directors as well as other officials of the block development office," the ADM said.

This step has been taken by the DM after all his efforts to spur the staff failed and the district continued to be placed among the least performing districts of the state in implementation of the scheme, the ADM added.