`50 lakh ‘fraud’ in Moga village: Akali ex-sarpanch couple in dock
Friday, 04/09/2015
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BAGHAPURANA (MOGA): A case of embezzlement of government funds to the tune of more than `50 lakh has come to light in Bhalur village in Baghapurana subdivision, which is set to embarrass the Akali leaders in the district.
District development and panchayat officer (DDPO) Capt Arun Jindal has detected the bungling of a huge chunk of government money in his inquiry and sent a report to the director of rural development and panchayat department for registering a case against former Akali sarpanch, Gurdas Singh, his wife Gurpinder Kaur (who is also a former sarpanch) and panchayat secretary Jaspal Singh for embezzling the grants.
The funds, meant for the construction of streets, drains, provision of water and sanitation, cleaning of ponds and other works, were allegedly siphoned off by the Akali sarpanches in connivance with the panchayat secretary. The documents gathered by the HT from sources reveal that Bohar Singh, acting sarpanch, had complained to the director on August 20, 2014 about the embezzlement of funds.
The complaint remained shifting, but no action was taken earlier due to political pressure on the officials. The department had written to both Gurdas and Gurpinder on December 2, 2014, to produce documents in regard to the utilisation of grants and the income generated from own sources by the panchayat but they failed to respond.
On August 21, 2015, DDPO Jindal visited the village with his team and inspected records from 2003 to 2013. In the report, the DDPO has written that Gurdas Singh, during his tenure as sarpanch (2003-2008), did not produce any record but gave a copy of the police report about the panchayat records burnt in a fire, and did not cooperate with him in the investigation.
Gurdas Singh said, “I and my wife have always worked honestly and used each and every grant for development.” He says the inquiry officer did not call them when he visited the village and the report against them was false. Panchayat secretary Jaspal Singh said, “DDPO Capt Arun Jindal has falsely implicated me in the case.”
