A Panchayat Secretary was suspended in Tripura for his alleged involvement in misappropriation of funds worth over Rs Nine lakh. The funds were allocated for drinking water and other community welfare programmes.
The controversy arose when residents of Paschim Kalabaria Panchayat of the Bharat Chandra Nagar block under South Tripura District, lodged a formal complaint, pointing fingers at the Panchayat secretary, Anath Pal, for allegedly mishandling substantial funds earmarked for the development of drinking water sources and other community projects.
District Magistrate of South Tripura District Saju Wahid A. took decisive action following preliminary investigations into the accusations against the Panchayat secretary.
Meantime, in response to the complaint, Panchayat chairman Putul Paul Biswas, accompanied by BDO Kaberi Nath and Additional BDO Sudip Kar, undertook comprehensive inspections across various locations within the Panchayat.
Their scrutiny of records, expenditures, and vouchers reportedly uncovered numerous irregularities. It is reported discrepancies emerged where vouchers indicated the existence of drinking water sources that could not be substantiated in reality.
Prompt action followed these revelations, with the Block Development Officer (BDO) intending to establish a probe committee to conduct an in-depth investigation and compile a detailed report. Preliminary estimations indicate a misappropriation of approximately Rs. 9.73 lakh. The BDO promptly apprised the Panchayat director and District Magistrate in writing about the alleged incident.
In his defense, the Panchayat secretary countered the allegations, asserting that his actions had been in accordance with the guidance provided by the Pradhan and Upa-Pradhan.
The District Magistrate’s suspension order against the Panchayat secretary was issued last Friday. Locals hailed the suspension terming it a pivotal development in this ongoing inquiry into financial discrepancies within the Paschim Kalabaria Panchayat.