In the last five years, a total of 20 Gram Panchayat Pradhans were indicted for alleged financial irregularities in various schemes run by the Central and State Governments in Dehradun district alone.
The matters are pending before the court, said Dehradun district Panchayat Officer MM Khan on Friday. Khan further said that Pradhans, who were caught for alleged financial irregularities, may contest forthcoming Panchayat election which is expected to be held in November last week or December first week in the State as their cases are pending before the court.
The department had received a large number of public complaints about financial irregularities in execution of Government-sponsored schemes from various blocks of the district. Based on the complaints, department officials were sent to Gram Panchayats concerned for the verification of these complaints. After reviewing all complaints, 20 pradhans were indicted for their alleged involvement in financial irregularities on Government's schemes -- including National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS), Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).
Financial irregularity allegations have also been made against them on various projects -- including construction of bridges, toilets, ponds, Cement Concrete roads, canals, school buildings, additional rooms and boundary walls, Barat Ghar, sports ground and others in the district. Apart from this, pradhans were also caught for their alleged involvement in issuing false certificates and their involvement in encroachment on Government lands, he added.
He further said that in Chakrata block, pradhans of various Gram Panchayats -- including Deriyon, Buraswa, Nada, Mugaad, Rajanu, Naraya, Kulha, Jegiyo and Tyutad were caught involved in financial irregularities as also in Sahaspur, Rajawala and Gangol Panditwadi Gram Panchayats in Sahaspur block. In Kalsi block, irregularities were found in Vyasbhud Tilwadi, Kachata and Desau Gram Panchayats. Irregularities were also revealed in Raipur and Doiwala Gram Panchayats in Raipur and Doiwala blocks respectively, he added.