Jaisalmer: Suspected financial irregularities running into crores have surfaced in works under the VB-G RAM G scheme in Jaisalmer’s Sam Panchayat Samiti, after officials detected large-scale duplication in face-authentication photographs used to mark worker attendance.The issue was flagged during an Aug 21 video conference with the Union Ministry of Rural Development. Officials said around 2.56 lakh cases of duplicate photographs were detected across the state, of which over 2 lakh were from Jaisalmer, the highest for any district.Following the discovery, the state govt formed a special team under VB-G RAM G additional commissioner (First), Jaipur, Hemant Swaroop Mathur, to investigate the matter.Five teams comprising local officials and experts inspected work sites in Sam Panchayat Samiti Sunday. Officials reportedly found several sites where workers were absent. In some cases, payments were alleged to have been released despite no work being carried out.Officials said the highest number of duplicate face-authentication cases were reported from Pochina village, at 59,715, followed by Myajlar with 45,611, Raghwa with 26,973, Bairsiyala with 23,080, Sipla with 15,000 and Salakha with 11,000.The VB-G RAM G scheme, operational in its new form from July 1, uses the government’s NMMS mobile app to record attendance and monitor rural employment works.Technical gaps may have been exploited to commit the irregularities, and officials are examining allegations that data was entered through a duplicate app and attendance was marked remotely, from beyond the prescribed 50-metre radius of a work site.Mathur said entries without worker photographs or proof of completed work had been detected and several had been rejected during scrutiny. The investigation into the matter remains ongoing and final findings will be sent to the govt after field reports are compiled, he added.
