Corruption in the village level self-governance system has irked the Government which has directed officials to book the representatives at Gram Sabha or Panchayat Samitis for their misdeeds.
Chief Minister Raghubar Das has told the Rural Development Department to lodge FIR against Mukhiyas holding them liable for irregularities in spending public fund.
Reacting to a matter brought for review at ‘CM Jan Samvad’ on Tuesday, the Chief Minister ordered for action against Mukhiya of Tetron panchayat of Koderma district, Babita Devi. A per the complaint lodged at the grievance redressal centre, the Mukhiya along with her husband Mahesh Das had embezzled fund meant for installing hand pumps, solar plates and water tanks.
Complainant Anand Ravidas had alleged that the hand pump sanctioned for 200 feet got dug only 60 feet whereas solar plates were bought at `28,000 to `22,000 from market against which `30,500 got withdrawn.
“Mukhiyas are rampantly doing such things and misusing public money. locate and file FIRs for corruption against such Mukhiyas and dislodge those who are found guilty of corrupt practices. Also, a direction be issued to them for purchasing solar plates necessarily from JREDA only and not by securing fraudulent quotations from two-three shops,” the CM told Principal Secretary of the Department NN Sinha.
He also told Koderma DC for further probe and action against the Mukhiya who was also charged with withdrawing money disproportionate to the sanctioned amount for building a water tank in the village.
A similar complaint of corruption came from Chinia of Garhwa district where a hostel meant for a Scheduled Tribe High School developed cracks in its roof within two months of being built costing `1.45 crore. Social activist Sonu Singh claimed that the students have left the premise out of fear of it getting collapsed. Even Garhwa DC Neha Arora admitted to the glitch and answered that a show-cause has been issued to the contractor who has agreed to repair the building.
“It is not suffice to punish only the contractor but the supervising authority should also be penalised. The officer responsible should also be booked,” the CM told the DC on which she replied that the deeds of the Executive Engineer would also be probed. listening to another case of killing of one Ashish Kumar (18) of Dhanbad in July last year, the CM directed the SP to expedite the investigation since no arresting has been made so far. He also told him to remove the PS in-charge for not cracking the case.
Jagdish Mahto of Nala in Jamtara district brought his plight before the CM in which a Manager of the Bank of India refused to grant him loan for running a business despite his application having approved by the District Industry Centre. “The Manager demanded `30,000 as bribe for sanctioning the loan amount which I could not fulfill,” said Mahto with folded hands before the CM who was flanked by his Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar, Secretary Sunil Kumar Barnwal and whole top brass of officials.
“This is the height of irresponsibility. We are encouraging self-employment generation and banks are sitting on loan applications! Such managers should be removed. Our money should not go to other States just to better the CD ratio,” said the CM disposing the matter and 19 others came before the Jan Samvad.
Complaints about non-payments of salary and against the public work completed, releasing scholarship, widow pension, assistance for medical treatment and job on compassionate grounds also came for redressal.