Patna, Feb 23 (IANS): The rural development ministry of Bihar government has cancelled 39.36 lakh MGNREGA job cards of inactive labourers in the state.

The affected labourers had not worked a single day in the last three years and were still earning money through this scheme.

According to an official, the state government has taken the initiative as the Aadhaar card did not match with the job cards of MGNREGA labourers.

Maximum number of cancellations are being reported from Patna, Vaishali, Samastipur, Bhagalpur, Bhojpur and Darbhanga district. A large number of labourers took the money under Indira Awas Yojana and PM Awas Yojana and built their houses on the basis of job cards but did not work a single day as a labour under MGNREGA.

The state government has linked 88.31 lakh job cards with Aadhaar last year and the total number of MGNREGA labourers reached 2 crore 35 lakh in the state. The officials have found 39.36 lakh job cards were fake, not linked with Aadhaar and other reasons. Hence, the department has cancelled them.

Some more job cards will be cancelled in future, the official further said.

Sources have said that a large number of labourers obtained MGNREGA job cards and migrated from the state. Their cards are being kept by public representatives like Mukhiya and withdrawing money from the department and sharing the amount.

As per the guidelines, the active labourers have to link their job cards with Aadhaar to become eligible for jobs under this scheme which provide guaranteed jobs for 100 days in one year.