lokayukt, Justice (Retd) NK Mehrotra, sent a report to the chief secretary, Alok Ranjan, recommending recovery of the money from the officials and gram pradhan, which have been swindled by them in the name of constructing toilets in the Achalda tehsil of Auraiya.
Interestingly, the local Chief Development Officer, already made similar recommendation earlier but the Panchayati Raj Department had reportedly pushed the files under the carpets as almost all the local pradhans were enjoying good clout in the present Samajwadi Party government. In one almost similar matter reported from Rae Bareli, the Parliament Constituency of Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, Panchayati Raj took no cognizance of the report sent by lokayukt after which he was forced to send a special report to Governor.
Reports said that Mehrotra while probing a complaint filed by one Sudhir Kumar, found that in Achalda Tehseil of Auraiya, 1376 toilets had to be constructed between 2011-12, and 20012-13. However, physical verification of toilet showed that beside low standard, a total of 565 toilets just exists of papers but still it’s verification exercise has been completed by authorities concerned which included Gram Pradhan’s, Gram Panchayat Adhikari, Gram Development Officer, etc and the payment was also cleared.
Mehrotra claimed that when he enquired the matter from chief development officer of Auraiya, Shivraj Yadav, about the above fraud, he dispatched a detailed report showing that in Achalda Tehsil, out of 565 toilets which exists just on paper, 9 were under Gwari Panchayat, 91 under Jalalpur Phuphand, 24 under Makrandpur, 82 under Hasanpur Ahiran, 81 under Kanhu, 76 under Bhhurepur, 202 under Kamara panchayat.
He claimed that more than Rs 12.14 lakh has been swindled by the accused through the above forgery. Yadav also claimed that he sent a report in this regard to Panchayati Raj Department but so for not action has been taken. Mehrorta said that in wake of above disclousure made by Shivraj, he now sent a report to chief secretary, Alok Ranjan, asking him to ensure that the matter should be expedite and entire recovery of money should be made from the guilty officials as well as the pradhan.
It may be mentioned that earlier lokayukt dispatched a special report to the governor, Ram Naik, requesting him to put a matter of alleged swindling of huge fund into the construction of toilets in Rae Bareli, before the Assembly along with action taken report by the department concerned. The move was made by Mehrotra after the Panchayati Raj Department dumped an enquiry and report sought by the lokayukt on the said issue.
In that matter, Mehrortra found that several lakh rupees meant for construction of toilets in villages at Rae Bareli and even in Amethi have been diverted to utilize it for campaigning for a senior leader of Bahujan Samaj Party.
During initial findings, and cross-examination of about three dozen of Panchayat Adhikari and Pradhans, lokayukt found no direct evidence of use of funds by BSP leader but he detected several irregularities in disbursement of funds by the District Development Officer. To confirm whether the funds worth over Rs 44 lakh has been utilised properly or was swindled for some other purpose, lokayukt dispatched a letter to Panchayati Raj Department on April 29, last year directing to verify the accounts and also conduct physical verification and send a detailed report on the issue to clear whether the funds were misutilised or not.
However, sources said that even when lokayukt send a reminder in this regard on April 7, this year and again on May 23 and June 25, Panchyati Raj Department made no enquiry and pushed the request under the carpet. Sources further said that after finding that the Department was taking no interest in the matter, lokayukt reportedly dispatched a letter to Governor last month in which he requested to put the matter on the Floor of the House along with Action Taken Report of the Panchayati Raj Department.