DM orders inquiry against Cong-led gram panchayat

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Feb. 27: Following the order of the Malda district magistrate Mr C R Das, the sub-divisional officer in Chanchal Mr Debasish Sarkar has completed an inquiry against a Congress led Malatipur gram panchayat.Interestingly, the inquiry order was issued following a complaint lodged recently by the district CPI-M secretary Mr Jiban Moitra.The sub-divisional officer also suggested taking prompt administrative action against the panchayat officials involved in financial irregularities in National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).Mr Moitra alleged that the administration intentionally had taken prompt action against the CPI-M led panchayat but no action was taken against the Congress led gram panchayat despite several reminders. Citing an example the CPI-M district secretary Mr Moitra said: “The district officials started an inquiry against the CPI-M led Olihonda gram panchayat in Chanchal and within a month they lodged an FIR against the panchayat officials. But in case of Congress led Malatipur gram panchayat in Chanchal, where the block panchayat development officer submitted his inquiry report six months ago accusing the panchayat officials of financial irregularities in NREGS, no action was taken. The block panchayat officer has been transferred after submission of the report to the BDO.”The sub divisional officer in Chanchal, Mr Debasish Sarkar said: “I have completed the inquiry in Malatipur gram panchayat and already sent the report to the district magistrate recommending actions to be taken against the panchayat officials on charges of defalcation of funds for implementing NREGS.“It was found that the Malatipur gram panchayat did not make proper use of funds allotted for a particular scheme and at least fifty per cent of the funds allotted to the scheme has been misappropriated.”After examining the books and other documents, the investigating officials suspect that panchayat officials had made false adjustment of the scheme by preparing false master roll. #