Despite three reminders having been sent to the executive officer Pauri Nagar Palika Parishad from the district magistrate’s office regarding alleged graft, Nagar Palika Parishad has chosen to keep mum, those privy to the DM’s office said.
Dwelling on the matter, additional district magistrate B K Mishra said that the last reminder had been sent to the executive officer Pauri Nagar Palika Parishad to present the pertinent files on Monday. The parishad was asked to show the names of those allegedly involved in the financial irregularities and misuse of funds, he said.
Notably, over one month has passed since the secretary, Uttarakhand Government , had shot off a letter to the inquiry officer who is also the DM of the district to nail those allegedly embroiled in financial irregularities and misuse of funds by giving away the names. But things are still murky in the echelons of the parishad with the officials concerned maintaining a stony silence on the sensitive matter.
Notably, Garhwal commissioner C S Napalchayal had submitted the inquiry report on the alleged financial irregularities and misuse of funds indulged in by the Pauri Nagar Palika Parishad to Uttarakhand Government. Acting on this report, the secretary Uttarakhand Government had asked the Pauri district magistrate, who is also the inquiry officer, to name the persons who are allegedly involved in them.
Mention worthy, acting on the memorandum served by seven out of eleven Pauri Municipal Board members and on the complaints lodged by around hundred residents of Pauri town, Garhwal commissioner had appointed the DM inquiry officer, asking him to probe into seven points thus raised and submit the report within a week. DM Chandra Sekhar Bhatt on his part had submitted the inquiry report to the Garhwal commissioner on February 6 2015, nearly one month ahead of the stipulated time-frame. Commissioner Garhwal had taken around eight months to send the report to the State Government.
Commissioner had told The Pioneer that out of the seven points, substances had been found in two. They include the demolition of a guest house sans the board’s permission and the lottery conducted at the behest of municipal board’s president.
However, surprisingly enough, neither the State government nor the district administration has taken action against those involved in the alleged financial irregularities and misuse of funds.
The observers say the authorities concerned fighting shy of nailing and punishing the accused are sending a wrong message to the people at large over their commitment to stop corruption in the local bodies of the State.