Sarpanch, panchayat secy misused funds: Probe report

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Kapurthala, November 8

In a major fraud with the Rural Development and Panchayat Department and forging of three cheques of an exorbitant amount, the names of the sarpanch and panchayat secretary of a Kapurthala village have come up in the inquiry report.

According to the initial inquiry report carried out by the department, both accused have forged three cheques apart from misappropriating the funds amounting to Rs 18,62,000.

Forging cheques

As per the sources, the accused made the then Block Development Panchayat Officer (BDPO) sign the three cheques of the amount of Rs 99,500, Rs 49, 100 and Rs 57,000, respectively.

“While making the BDPO sign the cheques, the officer was told by the accused that several works relating to the village were started and the money was supposed to be given to the sellers from whom the material for the cleaning work had beenbrought,” the sources said.

However, after the BDPO signed the cheques, the sarpanch and the panchayat secretary did some alteration and changed the amount from Rs 99,500 to Rs 8,99,000, Rs 49,100 to Rs 18, 49,100 and Rs 57,000 to Rs 5, 57, 000, respectively, thus an amount of Rs 31 lakh extra was debited from the account.

The BDPO who signed the cheques was posted during the period from October 2016 to April 2017.

Misappropriation of funds

The sarpanch and the panchayat secretary misappropriated the funds that were granted to the department for various works.

Notably, the funds amounting to Rs 42, 63, 079 had come from the department for carrying out the work in the village. The grant had come under the 13th Finance Commission, Punjab Infrastructure Development board (PIDB) and cattle fare funds. Of this too, misappropriation to the tune of Rs 10 lakh was made with the cattle fare fund.

Assistant Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Development, Kapurthala, Avtar Singh Bhullar, said he had received the inquiry report from the Deputy Commissioner. “The District Development Panchayat officer (DDPO) has conducted the whole inquiry and I have asked him to act further according to the crime,” Bhullar said.

DDPO Iqbal Singh confirmed the fraud and said that inquiry had been completed. “I will write to the Kapurthala SSP to lodge an FIR against the two,” he said.