Dhar Gram Panchayat pradhan suspended over irregularities

The Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department has suspended Indra Devi, the pradhan of Dhar Gram Panchayat in Dehra sub-division, of Kangra district, after allegations of irregularities, arbitrariness and violations of the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, 1994.

The action followed a detailed inquiry into complaints lodged by the deputy pradhan, panchayat secretary and panchayat members, who accused the pradhan of negligence, failure to execute development works and misuse of authority.

A probe by the Block Development Officer (BDO), Dehra, substantiated the charges. Based on the inquiry, the District Panchayat Officer issued a show-cause notice to Indra Devi on August 18, but, she couldn’t give a satisfactory reply. Prima facie, that she had violated the procedures and financial rules of doing development works. Consequently, she has been suspended from her post.

However, the suspended pradhan Indra Devi has denied the allegations terming them politically motivated. Indra claimed that she was not properly heard during the inquiry and that “a few individuals wanted her to sign cheques without scrutiny.”

“I refused to sign blindly, and that is why I have been targeted through a political conspiracy,” she alleged.

The main allegations against her include that she didn’t initiate approved development works of Rs 4.12 lakh; didn’t release payments of 32 development works approved by the panchayat and later the pradhan allegedly declined to sign the minutes of meetings of gram panchayat violating official record keeping procedures.

During an inspection of the 15th Finance Commission’s online cash book, some irregular entries were found for cement worth Rs 10,600 and Rs 14,840. And, the pradhan’s refusal to apply her Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) stalled the works.