“The ‘Pathaprant Banikaran’ (roadside plantation) was undertaken as a MNREGA project at a total expenditure of Rs 8,26,535. For this, 795 labour days were devoted. But the saplings died drying in a few months due to lack of care,” alleged villagers.
They too alleged that the nets installed around saplings have been damaged due to lack of care.
“The saplings were not watered. The nets were not bound properly. As a result, all the money spent by the Government went fruitless,” villagers alleged further.
Smelling a big corruption in the project, the villagers demanded that an investigation be conducted and those responsible for drying of saplings be punished as per law.
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“We thought that we will get relief from scorching heat by sitting under trees planted on roadsides near our agricultural field. But all the situation returned to square one in just two-three months’ time for corruption attitude of forest officials,” rued some other villagers.
