Sirmaur: Panchayat chief suspended over financial misconduct

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Nahan, May 15

The panchayat pradhan of Sangrah, the block development headquarters in Sirmaur district, has been suspended following proven allegations of financial irregularities and misuse of her position in government construction projects.

Neelam Devi’s suspension comes after a comprehensive investigation, spanning two years, which revealed significant mismanagement in the construction of the Sangrah Indoor Stadium and the Kinkari Devi Memorial Park.

The investigation, prompted by complaints and subsequently ordered by the High Court, uncovered irregularities in projects valued at Rs 37 lakh. The construction of the Sangrah Indoor Stadium, with an estimated cost of Rs 10 lakh, and the Kinkari Devi Memorial Park, costing around Rs 27 lakh, was halted due to the alleged financial misconduct.

Sources said the departmental inquiry revealed that the Neelam Devi had been marking attendance in her husband’s name and had manipulated bills related to construction material.

Furthermore, the investigation found that Neelam Devi involved only her close acquaintances in these projects for material billing and employee attendance in the muster roll register, raising further concerns about nepotism and lack of transparency.

Sangrah Block Development Officer (BDO) Chirag Sharma confirmed these findings, stating that the financial discrepancies, quality compromise and misuse of power were substantial enough to warrant immediate action.

“The extent of the financial irregularities means that a significant amount of money can be recovered from Neelam Devi,” added the BDO.

“The projects have been stalled for the past two years due to these issues and we are committed to ensuring that such malpractices are addressed and rectified,” he said. The suspension order was officially issued by District Rural Development Agency Project Officer Abhishek Mittal, who is currently overseeing the duties of the Sirmaur District Panchayat Officer.