New Delhi, Sep 15 - There were many complaints of corruption in the implementation of the central government's flagship National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), Rural Development Minister C.P. Joshi admitted Tuesday, while charging that some states ruled by parties other than the Congress were not utilising funds sanctioned for the purpose.

'I am aware of corruption complaints. We will evolve a system to plug loopholes in the implementation of the programme, while we are putting into place an arrangement by which eminent persons in various parts of the country can cite irregularities,' Joshi told reporters here.

Joshi, who was briefing the media on the progress made by his ministry in the last quarter, said: 'I will shortly start visits to all the states to assess the implementation of the scheme first-hand.'

He also said he would convene a meeting with judicial officers to seek suggestions to improve the implementation of the scheme.

'As part of a mechanism for independent monitoring (of the job scheme), 100 eminent persons would be identified (across the country) to report on the progress of the scheme,' the minister said.