Hon’ble Devi Prasad Singh, J.—Instant writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India relates to misappropriation of fund, allocated to different districts of the State of U.P. by the Central Government under the ‘Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005’ (In short, MGNREGA).

2. Demons of corruption are hunting the public exchequer. Alexander Pope in his Moral essays (Epistle to Bathurst) had very nicely naratted the seriousness of corruption and its effect. To quote relevant portion :

“At length corruption, like a general flood,

(So long by watchful ministers withstood)

Shall deluge all; and avarice creeping on,

Spread low like a low-born mist, and blot the sun;

Statesman and patriot ply alike the stocks;

Peeress and butler share alike the box,

And judges job, and bishops bite the town,

And mighty dukes pack cards for half a crown,

See Britain sunk in lucre’s sordid charms.”

Whether India will sunk in lucre’s sordid charms ?

3. The material on record prima facie reveals startling facts with regard to misappropriation of fund allocated under MGNREGA right from lowest echelon of the elected representative, i.e. Pradhan, Gram Sabha members to