From promise to plunder: Panchayats in Kangra & Chamba face corruption storm

The promise of grassroots democracy, envisioned under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, was to empower rural India through transparent and participatory governance. Panchayats, vested with funds and authority, were expected to act as engines of local development. However, in Kangra and Chamba districts of Himachal Pradesh, the noble idea has been marred by a disturbing reality — rampant corruption and misuse of public money in development works.

Over the past decade, the state government released crores of rupees in grants to panchayats under the 14th Finance Commission for rural development. But as the funds increased, so did the scale of irregularities. Despite stringent laws, inquiries and mounting complaints from villagers, legal action has largely remained absent, with FIRs either not filed or left pending.

One of the most shocking cases came to light in Sanwal panchayat of Churah subdivision, Chamba district. Villagers complained about suspicious transactions, prompting a police investigation. To their shock, it was discovered that Rs 1.53 crore had been paid as “carriage charges” to a mule owner for transporting construction material. The mule owner, a below poverty line (BPL) category resident, suddenly had transactions worth over Rs 1.50 crore in his bank account. The district administration later formed an inquiry committee to probe the fraud, which exposed how easily funds meant for development were siphoned off.

In Sulha panchayat, near Palampur, the misuse of the MGNREGA scheme revealed yet another form of corruption. Block Development Officer Bhedu Mahadev unearthed fraudulent payments made to “ghost workers” based on fake attendance records. Interestingly, the investigation was triggered by a complaint from a former panchayat pradhan. Dozens of names appeared on beneficiary lists of MGNREGA projects, though the individuals had never worked under the scheme.

In the same region, irregularities also surfaced in the construction of rain shelters. This time, villagers had to approach the Himachal High Court before authorities initiated any action against those responsible.

At Bhattoo Panjala panchayat in Baijnath block, widespread irregularities in development works were uncovered. To make matters worse, official records related to these projects disappeared from the panchayat office. The then Block Development Officer investigated and even lodged an FIR at Baijnath police station. Yet, years later, the case still awaits decisive government action.

A senior government officer revealed that in Kangra district alone, recoveries worth Rs 50 lakh remain outstanding against current and former panchayat pradhans and members accused of fund misuse. While some cases have been referred under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, follow-up action has been painfully slow.

In a rare example of justice, a woman pradhan from Bundla panchayat (Palampur) was convicted by the Dharamsala court and sentenced to three years of imprisonment for corruption. But such outcomes are exceptions rather than the rule.

The 73rd Amendment made it mandatory for gram panchayats to present annual financial reports, listing receipts, expenditures and beneficiary details. Yet, in Kangra district, only a handful of panchayats follow these rules. The rest, villagers allege, have turned into “dens of corruption”, betraying the very essence of local self-governance.

For the rural poor, these irregularities mean more than just numbers on paper. They translate into unfinished works, missing facilities and shattered trust in institutions that were meant to serve them. Until transparency is enforced and culprits are punished, the dream of grassroots democracy will remain hostage to corruption.