The Manipur High Court closed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed seeking a direction to the State authorities to implement the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme effectively, by ensuring proper distribution of the funds sanctioned by the Central Government.
An Additional affidavit dated 20.09.2022 was filed by the Joint Secretary(RD & PR), Government of Manipur, furnishing details of the actual release of wages to the beneficiaries under the subject scheme from March, 2021, till September,2022.
It was stated that out of the 70 Blocks of electronic Fund ManagementSystems (eFMS), implementation was successfully effected in 36 Blocks which would constitute about 72.88 % of the total beneficiaries. Transfer of subsidies directly to the beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer, vide the electronic FundManagement System (eFMS), is for ensuring faster and more secure flow of funds and to reduce the possibility of fraud.
RK Umakanta, learned Government Advocate, appearing for theState authorities, informed the High Court that he also received information to this effect under letter dated 16.09.2022 from the Joint Secretary (RD & PR), Government ofManipur.
A. Mohendro, counsel for the petitioners, stated that in the light of the effective measures adopted by the State authorities to ensure proper implementation of the scheme, no cause is made out for further directions from the High Court.
Recording the said statement, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice A Bimol Singh closed the PIL.