Former Adampur sarpanch accused of Rs35-lakh fraud

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, February 4

In a major fraud with the Rural Development and Panchayat Department, the name of a former sarpanch of a village in the Adampur block has appeared in an investigation report. The probe has been done from 2013-2018 during which it is found that a fraud of around Rs 35 lakh was committed.

As per officers involved in the probe, the sarpanch had spent an amount of Rs 80,61,116 while major works that were actually done were of Rs 37,60,554 and on other general works, a total amount of Rs 8,31,423 was spent, making a total amount of Rs 45,91,977.

The officials said the sarpanch had earlier also got suspended because of various unlawful activities.

The embezzlement has been done in the grants that came under the 14th Pay Commission, Punjab Infrastructural Development Board (PIDB).

As per information, there is a provision to recover the amount embezzled from the sarpanch according to a section of the Panchayati Raj Act, 1994.

“I have asked the Block Development Panchayat Officer (BDPO), Adampur, to act according to Section 216 of the 1994 Punjab Panchayati Raj Act,” said District Development Panchayat Officer Iqbal Singh.

Sources said the XEN, Panchayati Raj, had conducted the probe last year but the sarpanch did not appear on dates which showed that he was avoiding the inquiry and he was involved in the big scam.

Giving an example, an officer said a grant of Rs 5 lakh had come from the department and the account register showed that the amount was withdrawn but no work was carried out on ground.

The District Development Panchayat Officer (DDPO), Iqbal Singh, has sent the report to the Deputy Commissioner too for further action.

But as per information, no action has been taken.

Last year too, a fraud of forging of three cheques of an exorbitant amount was reported. The police had booked the sarpanch and the panchayat secretary of a Kapurthala village in this regard.

The names of the sarpanch and the panchayat secretary of the Kapurthala village had appeared in the inquiry report and the probe was done by Iqbal Singh.