Members of the Pauri Municipal Council on Tuesday charged Municipal Board president Yashpal Benam of misusing public fund and financial irregularities in the board.
In a memorandum submitted to Garhwal Commissioner CS Napalchayal and District Magistrate Chandra Sekhar Bhatt, seven members of the board alleged that board president Benam had been misusing funds of the board and there were many financial irregularities being indulged by him.
Demanding an enquiry into the financial irregularities, the members also pointed out the autocratic style of functioning of the board president.
Those whose signatures the memorandum bears are Vinod Bisht, Deepak Rawat, Manoj Singh, Arvind Rawat, Neelam Rawat, Roshni Dhanosi and Anoop Negi.
They said that during a board meeting, which was presided over by Municipal Council president, he had raised the salary of computer operator and legal advisor without required quorum as six out of the nine members present had staged a walk-out.
The members further alleged in the memorandum that the Guest House in which the municipal board office was running was demolished at the behest of the president and the rubbles were sold.
They said the president had kept the boards members in the dark about the Autumn Festival 2014 being organised by the municipal council’s funds.
They alleged graft was involved in awarding construction works to a particular contractor. Thirty out of the 48 construction works had been given to that contractor, flouting norms, they said. In another allegation, they said Benam had had installed an iron bench outside the municipal council and had his name inscribed thereon instead of municipal council. That amounts to misuse of funds, they said.