The Pauri municipal council chairman Yashpal Benam and the then executive officers of the municipality were found to be prima facie at fault in financial irregularities and misuse of municipal funds. District magistrate Chandra Shekhar Bhatt said this after submitting the inquiry report to the Garhwal commissioner recently.
It will be recalled that following a seven-point complaint by six members of the municipal council and residents of Pauri town regarding financial irregularities and misuse of funds in the municipality, Garhwal commissioner CS Napalchyal had directed the district magistrate to inquire into the allegations and submit a report. Bhatt stated that his inquiry found Benam and the then executive officers of the Pauri municipality- Darban Singh Rana and Ramesh Prasad Semwal to be prima facie guilty of financial irregularities. The inquiry report submitted to the Garhwal commissioner states that the executive officer had disclosed in his letter that a lottery was held at the summer festival in 2013-14 under Benam’s directions. There were no records pertaining to the lottery in the municipal council office. The report further states that Rs 15 lakh from the municipal fund was spent on the summer festival without permission from the authorised officer. Additionally, a lucky draw coupon lottery was conducted by Benam without permission of the State Government. The inquiry report states that lakhs of rupees from the municipality fund were spent without proposal by the municipal council board and permission from the authorised officer. The then executive officer of the municipality DS Rana was stated to be responsible in this instance. Inquiry in to another allegation regarding the demolition of municipal rest house and sale of its scrap ascertained that the municipal board had not passed any proposal for the same. The municipal council chairman was found to have acted beyond his jurisdiction in directing this action for which he and the then executive officer RP Semwal were responsible. The report further states that approval of the authorised officer/government was not taken regarding the increase in remuneration of the municipality’s computer operator and advocate.
It should be mentioned here that earlier, when Napalchyal had forwarded the inquiry report to the State administration, the secretary concerned had asked the inquiry officer to state the names of persons involved in the financial irregularities. The municipality executive officer didn’t present the required documents to the DM despite three reminders. The additional district magistrate BK Mishra then set January 28 as the deadline for producing the required documents which were then produced before the ADM. Mishra told The Pioneer that the inquiry report has been sent to the Garhwal commissioner for necessary action against the guilty.