Best Criminal Lawyers in Chandigarh Ex-sarpanches under lens for Rs 4-cr ‘embezzlement’ by Advocate SS Sidhu Lawyer in Chandigarh High Court
Tribune News Service
Ropar, September 29
Two former sarpanches of nearby Rangeelpur village are under the scanner as incumbent Manjeet Singh has alleged that panchayat funds to the tune of Rs 4 crore were misappropriated during their tenure. Sarpanch Manjit Singh and several local residents have lodged a complaint with the Punjab Panchayats and Rural Department Finance Commissioner.
They have alleged that former sarpanches Kamaljit Kaur and Sunil Kumar withdrew money from the panchayat accounts for those works which were carried out with funds received under the MGNREGA scheme, showed bills of companies with fake addresses and inflated the costs of development works.
In the complaint, it has been stated that Sunil had been sarpanch from 2008 to 2013. From 2013 to 2018 when Sunil Kumar was elected a panch, Kamaljeet took over as sarpanch of the village. Manjit says after a perusal of record handed over to him so far, it was found that the village panchayat spent nearly Rs 4 crore for development works during the past 10 years, a majority of which were lying incomplete. He alleges that Rs 90 lakh was withdrawn for the construction of a marriage palace in the village. The marriage palace was, however, left incomplete.
The village panchayat got Rs 20 lakh for the construction of 300-metre-long drain under the MGNREGA scheme. Still payments were made for this work from the village panchayat funds and that, too, to two companies which had fake addresses.
Manjit further alleges though panchayats were dissolved on July 17 last year, still money was withdrawn from the bank account of the panchyat by Sunil in August.
Meanwhile, Kamaljeet said during her tenure as sarpanch from 2013 to 2018, she had bequeathed her powers to former sarpanch and then panch Sunil Kumar, so he only would be able to answer all queries. Sunil, however, denied all allegations levelled by Manjit and the other complainants. He said he had already submitted all relevant documents to the District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO) Gurnetar Singh who was conducting an inquiry into the matter.
Ropar DC Sumeet Jarangal and the DDPO said the inquiry would be completed within next 10 days.
What complainants claim
- Rs 90 lakh withdrawn for the construction of a marriage palace which was left incomplete
- Panchayat got Rs 20 lakh for the construction of 300-metre-long drain under the MGNREGA scheme. Still payments were made for this work from the panchayat funds to two companies with fake addresses
- Bills worth lakhs were raised against the purchase of furniture for panchayat and village dispensary though no such thing was found at both places
- There was no function held in the village by the panchayat, still bills worth lakhs were raised against installation of tents
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2mWtFzz
via Best Criminal Lawyers in Chandigarh
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