TENKASI: Amid growing dissent in the district panchayat council, eight of the total 14 ward councillors on Monday petitioned Collector S Gopal Sundararaj about the alleged misappropriation of funds by District Panchayat Chairperson S Tamil Selvi.
The petitioners, including District Panchayat Vice-Chairman T Udhaya Krishnan and councillors R Subramanian, S Sudha, K Kanimozhi, A Muthulakshmi, M Marimuthu, V Chandraleela and M Poongodi, demanded cancellation of the resolutions that Tamil Selvi allegedly added to an approved document without the councillors' consent, and distribution of funds allotted by the State government among all councillors.
"During the meeting held on January 12, the councillors approved seven resolutions. However, five resolutions were later added to the meeting minutes without our knowledge. About `1.75 crore was allotted to different works after the five resolutions were added," the petitioners claimed. The councillors further said Tamil Selvi and District Panchayat Secretary Uma Shankar altered the approved meeting minutes with an intention to embezzle public money.
"Apart from cancelling these resolutions, the district administration should take action against Tamil Selvi," they urged the Collector. Later, speaking to media persons, the petitioners said they would not attend any more meetings in the future if their demands were not heeded to. The councillors have also decided to move a no-confidence motion against the chairperson. However, Tamil Selvi has refuted all the allegations levelled against her.