Cong alleges large-scale corruption in Panchayats Dept
The Congress has alleged large-scale embezzlement of funds in the Rural Development and Panchayats Department, claiming that it is being done by officials in connivance with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-backed appointees in gram panchayats across the state.
The allegation came following the lodging of a case against a sarpanch by the Sirhind police after he allegedly withdrew over Rs 28 crore over a period of time from three different bank accounts of his village panchayat by forging signatures of the Sirhind Block Development Panchayat Officer (BDPO).
The BDPO’s approval was mandatory to withdraw the funds.
While the Wazirabad village sarpanch and the panchayat secretary have been suspended by the government, a five-member special investigation team (SIT) has also been formed to probe the incident.
The amount was paid by Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation to the village panchayat for acquiring 130 acres of shamlat land (village common land) for setting up an industrial park.
Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly — Partap Singh Bajwa — said this was the second such case in recent times that came to light.
Earlier, an alleged embezzlement of Rs 1.80 crore was reported from two Ferozepur village panchayats.
Bajwa alleged that the AAP government was “desisting” from acting against department officials and the two cases were just the tip of the iceberg as “funds were being embezzled across the state”.
Former Fatehgarh Sahib legislator and Congress leader Kuljit Nagra said the role of department officials was not being probed in the Sirhind case.
Nagra said a sarpanch alone could not have embezzled the government funds.
“The amount was kept in a fixed deposit in a public bank, from where it was diverted over a period of time to private banks. The sarpanch withdrew over Rs 28 crore from the public bank account, leaving only Rs 23.78 crore in it,” said the former MLA.
The Congress sought an inquiry into the role of the BDPO and other department officials.
Villagers protest
Fatehgarh Sahib: Meanwhile, residents of Wazirabad village staged a dharna and raised slogans against the Punjab Government, village panchayat and ruling party leaders.
They demanded that the land and property of the village panchayat members should be attached.
They questioned as to why the BDPO and local AAP legislator Lakhbir Singh Rai lodged the complaints only now while the panchayat funds were being siphoned off for the past two and a half years.
Nikhil Garg DSP(D), who is leading the SIT formed to investigate the case, said the police had issued a look-out notice against the sarpanch and raids are being conducted to nab him.
He urged people to inform the police if they had any information regarding his possible hideout. —OC
Punjab