Saree-Clad Men Pose As Women For MGNREGA Benefits In Karnataka
An alleged case of wage fraud under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has come to light from Maldar village in the Yadgir district of Karnataka. Male workers disguised themselves as women dressed in sarees to unlawfully claim wages designated for female workers. This incident occurred during a nala desilting project and has sparked public outrage and prompted administrative action.
According to a Hindustan Times (HT) report, the fraudulent activity was exposed after photos surfaced online of these men in sarees while allegedly participating in the destilating work at Ningappa Pujari’s field in Mallara village. In the viral grainy photo, several male workers have draped sarees, pulling the pallu over their faces. They struggle to appear authentic, banking on the long-shot and low-resolution nature of the photo to make their wage claims seem more believable.
The photo went viral, drawing widespread attention. The total project cost was estimated at Rs 3 lakh.
Lavesh Oradiya, Zilla Panchayat chief executive officer (CEO), confirmed the development and informed that the number of actual male and female workers on-site did not match the official records. Oradiya, said that in the Nominal Muster Roll (NMR) attendance photos of labourers, there should be 6 men and 4 women.
“In place of women, men were dressed in sarees and falsely claimed wages in the names of women who didn’t work,” he added.
As per HT, the scam was orchestrated by Viresh, a Barefoot Technician (BFT) employed on contract with the Panchayat Department. He has been suspended following this incident. Oradiya said action was initiated earlier, after several complaints were received in February. He further added that no wages were given under this specific NREGA project so far.
Fake Images & App Manipulation
As per the report, the investigation also uncovered that attendance records were tampered with through the National Mobil Monitoring Software (NMMS) app. They uploaded fake images in place of genuine ones, enabled the fraudulent wage claims under the names of women who had not actually worked.
Chennabasava, the Panchayat Development Officer of Malhar village, denied any involvement in the scheme. “I have no role in this incident. A contract employee committed this fraud without my knowledge. As soon as the matter came to my attention, I suspended Veeresh, the employee involved in the fraud,” he was quoted by HT.
Local women labourers have voiced their anger and frustration over the incident, calling it a betrayal of their efforts and a distortion of a scheme meant to empower rural communities.
As per HT, NREGA projects are continuing across other gram panchayats in the taluk in an effort to curb seasonal migration during the summer months. Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer Ramappa Doddmani visited one such desilting project at a lake in Majjoor Gram Panchayat and encouraged locals to make use of these work opportunities.
Highlighting the scheme’s critical role in sustaining rural livelihoods, Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer Ramappa Doddmani noted that wages under NREGA have been revised from Rs 349 to Rs 370 for the financial year 2025–26, effective from April 1.
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