3 panchayat secys suspended for Rs 50-lakh bungling
Tuesday, 02/10/2012
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121002/punjab.htm#4
Mohali : The Punjab Rural Development and Panchayat Department (PRDPD) today suspended three panchayat secretaries involved in the embezzlement of government funds to the tune of Rs 50 lakh. The officials put under suspension were Harbans Singh, Jagwinder Singh and Vijay Kumar.
Balwinder Singh Multani, Director, PRDPD, said: “We have suspended the three panchayat secretaries of Bhaini Bagga whose names had surfaced in the embezzlement of Rs 50 lakh in panchayat grants, while a 10-day notice has been served on sarpanch Mandeep Singh, who was also involved in the fraud.” Multani said the sarpanch would also be suspended after the notice period.
The Mansa district administration had detected a fraud of Rs 50 lakh in Bhaini Bagha village and Kahangarh. Sarpanch Mandeep Singh, a relative of a former Akali MLA, three panchayat secretaries of Bhaini Bagga and a panchayat secretary of Kahangarh village were booked for cheating and embezzlement. Two separate cases were filed against them.
Deputy Commissioner Amit Dhaka said the accused had embezzled money meant for various development works at the two villages.
He said the cases had been registered on the recommendation of the block development and panchayat officers of Mansa and Budhlada.
He said Mandeep Singh along with Harbans Singh, Jagwinder Singh and Vijay Kumar had allegedly embezzled Rs 45.40 lakh by producing bills for works that were never executed. They had also furnished inflated bills for works undertaken in the village.
Dimple Kumar, panchayat secretary of Kahangarh village, allegedly pocketed Rs 4.23 lakh of the Rs 5.79 lakh received for leasing out the village land to a farm contractor. The Deputy Commissioner said a former sarpanch of the village had brought the matter to his notice, claiming that Dimple had neither deposited the money in the account of the panchayat nor submitted a receipt of the money received. Mansa SSP Narinder Bhargav said two cases under Sections 408, 409 and 120-B had been registered against the accused.
Fake bills
Sarpanch Mandeep Singh along with three panchayat secretaries — Harbans Singh, Jagwinder Singh and Vijay Kumar — allegedly embezzled Rs 45.40 lakh by producing bills for works that were never executed
They also furnished inflated bills for works undertaken in the village
