Central funds 'embezzled'

Statesman News Service

MALDA, April 29: The state panchayat commissioner, Mr S Gupta, has instructed the Malda district magistrate to immediately remove a Congress panchayat pradhan for allegedly misappropriating government funds allotted as “food for work.” The instruction reached the Malda district magistrate and other officials concerned on Friday. The copy of the letter has been sent to the alleged offender, Mr Mizanur Rahman, and the block development officer has been instructed to take action against the pradhan. The state panchayat commissioner convened a hearing on the subject recently and concluded (under Section 213 of the Panchayat Act) that the pradhan of Silampur II GP under Kaliachak I Block should be removed from his chair. The instruction also states that he would not be able to contest in any elections in future. The Malda zilla parishad had in the 2005-06 financial year allotted funds of more than Rs 5 lakh, including value of grains, for implementing two schemes under the Central government’s food-for-work project. District officials said residents of Silampur Gram Panchayat II had lodged a complaint with the district administration that the local body chief, Mr Rahman, submitted false bills to show utilisation of funds allotted for the two projects without executing excavation work of a pond and a roadside canal for waterways. On the basis of the complaint, the authorities had deputed an executive engineer and the deputy secretary of the Malda zilla parishad to inquire into the matter. When it was found that no work had been done for the two FFW schemes and that all vouchers had been faked, the former district magistrate, Mr Abhijit Choudhury, put up the matter to the principal secretary of state panchayat and rural development, Mr MN Roy. Mr Roy had forwarded the matter to the panchayat commissioner for action.The Malda district administration has been receiving similar complaints regarding defalcation of Central government funds under the same project, which is presently known as 100-days’ National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.