In what is expected to be a major step towards protecting whistleblowers who expose corruption in MNREGA, the Centre has brought in an amendment in the Act under which states would have to ensure their safety.

The states would also have to initiate prompt criminal proceedings against acts of intimidation and coercive action.

MNREGA, or the Mahatma Gandhi national rural employment guarantee Act, is the union government’s job guarantee scheme for the rural poor.

The rural development ministry, which oversees implementation of the scheme, brought about an amendment in section 27(2) of the Act in this regard on May 14.

“Para 10 of the standard operating procedure for operationalising provisions of section 27(2) of MGNREGA has been amended with an objective to provide security cover to enquiry officials/complainants/whistle blowers in the implementation of Act,” a rural development ministry circular, sent to all states on May 14, notes.

The provisions under section 27(2) allows the centre to order an investigation if it receives a complaint of ineffective implementation or improper utilisation of funds.

With the amendment to this section, the circular says, state governments are required to provide “adequate security” to whistleblowers concerned, as also their family members and members of special audit/social audit team. The district collector and superintendent of police concerned are responsible for providing security, the ministry states.

This amendment assumes importance in the backdrop of several cases of murderous attack on whistleblowers who have brought to light serious fraud in implementation of the MNREGA scheme.

The states will also have to establish a complaint cell under the direct charge of the state rural development secretary to look into all complaints related to MNREGA, the circular says. The complaint cell may either be for complaints specifically related to MNREGA or it may be the same as for complaints related to other programmes or schemes of the rural development ministry.

Following the amendment, states would also have to ensure registration of separate criminal case in case of misappropriation of government money and other cases of corruption. The investigation of such cases would also have to be monitored, the circular states.