Patiala: Ex-BDPO, assistant engineer suspended

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Patiala, March 1

The Secretary, Department of Rural Development and Panchayat, has suspended Gurmail Singh, former block development and panchayat officer (BDPO), Shambhu Kalan, and assistant engineer Dharminder Kumar in connection with the expenditure of funds without permission related to acquisition of land of five villages of the Shambhu Kalan block here after a preliminary inquiry. A notice has also been served on District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO) Dilawar Kaur in this regard.

As per documents, which are in possession with The Tribune, the office has also served notices on Jasvir Chand and Jaswinder Singh, panchayat secretaries, Panchayat Samiti, Shambhu Kalan, as well.

Officials said the action was initiated on the basis of allegations that the office of former BDPOs of the Shambhu Kalan block samiti spent funds worth crores bypassing orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to stop all expenditures other than routine office expenses.

In the notices issued to Gurmail Singh and Dilawar Kaur, departmental secretary Rahul Bhandari said the officers were deputed as BDPOs at Shambhu Kalan when amount to the tune of Rs1,51,37,818 was spent directly by their office between February 1, 2021 and February 9, 2021. This was despite the fact that as part of a civil writ petition, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the department not to spend funds of the Block Samiti.

Officials of the department said a complaint was received, following which a probe was ordered. Preliminary findings of the probe listed several lapses.

Rahul Bhandari, Secretary, Department of Rural Development and Panchayat, was not available for comment.