Lucknow, Sep 6 - Irked over the non-implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in their village, residents of Phaguniya village in Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh took hostage a government official who went there to review the programmes.

The incident was reported Saturday when the villagers forced the block development officer (BDO) to get off his jeep and tied him to an electric pole.

The BDO was released only after an hour when police and administrative officials intervened. No criminal case has been registered against the villagers. The BDO was set free only after the villagers were assured speedy redressal of their grievances.

'There is large scale bungling in issuing NREGS job cards and below poverty line ration cards. These cards have been issued to rich and influential people and we poor are not getting any jobs or food grains,' villager Ram Karan alleged.

Senior officials also conceded the charges.

'There is some bungling and we have assured the villagers that their complaints would be attended to and corrective measures taken,' Additional District Magistrate Atul Kumar told IANS.