In an important development, 14 out of 25 members of the Uttarkashi district panchayat have sent an affidavit to the Principal Secretary Panchayati Raj on Saturday, demanding a full-fledged inquiry into eight irregularity-related matters against the Uttarakashi district panchayat president Jashoda Rana.
The development was long expected in view of some members nurturing grievances against the zila panchayat president. Things exploded finally with the dissenters having served a memorandum in the form of an affidavit against her.
They alleged irregularities in both financial and administrative matters, demanding that the financial and administrative powers the district panchayat president is now enjoying should be seized immediately to enable an impartial inquiry to get into the bottom of the irregularity charges. A copy of the same has been sent to the chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, Governor Dr KK Paul, Garhwal Commissioner Dilip Jawalkar and also the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
While interacting with the media on Saturday, Purola region zila panchayat member Deepak Biljwan said that the district president must prove her allegation against him of being blackmailed by him. “This is a frivolous and concocted allegation. In case she fails to prove it is true I would file a defamation suit against the president,” he said.
He alleged that several scams have happened with Rana being directly involved in the embezzlement. “I incurred her wrath when I raised these things during a board meeting. And since then she been abusing me while hurling baseless charges against me,” he added.
He alleged that the president had spent Rs 1.14 crore, given by the state finance department for development work, in election purposes without taking the board into confidence. “Besides, she has not cleared the instalment to be paid to the state finance department for two years. We have been told that Rs eight crore is lying with the DCl account. However, she has taken pains to keep half of the amount away from us. Furthermore, she has recruited a junior engineer in a clandestine way,” he said.
Biljwan further said that all the 14 members apprehend that unless she is rid of the financial and administrative power immediately she would use her position to manipulate things like destroying documents to thwart an impartial inquiry. “With 14 of 25 members having voiced their dissent against the president, she has lost majority support in the board. Once others would come to learn about the irregularities they would do the same we have done. So there is no reason why she should not be suspended with immediate effect,” he said.
Meanwhile, president Jashoda Rana alleged that she has been facing the acrimonious attack from Deepak Biljwan since she had refused to sign a cheque worth Rs two crore as per his diktat. “I am quite capable of proving my charge as true. He called me up several times over my phone as per the call records. I would produce them in the court if it is required,” she said.
While refuting the charge of her having spent Rs 1.14 crore in election-related matters, she affirmed that she had spent the money in the construction of zila panchayat building.