JAGATSINGHPUR: Villagers of Janakadeipur in Erasama have alleged misappropriation of funds by officials through false bills with regard to supply of drinking water through tankers, after one such case came to light in the panchayat recently. Vigilance officials have initiated investigation into the allegations last week.
One of the residents Devendra Rath had engaged his tractor to supply drinking water through tankers in many villages of the panchayat.
In 2020, he offered the services from January to July and after that, approached officials of the Rural Water Supply And Sanitation (RWSS) and the panchayat for payment of dues but none of his bills was reportedly passed.
As per Devendra’s claims, he was told that the bill for the hiring charges of his tractor was already paid. The following year too, Devendra used his tractor for water supply from January to June but was reportedly given only 50 per cent of his dues.
When his payment was constantly put off on various grounds, he approached the block development officer of Erasama and filed an RTI in November last year.
As per the RTI information received a month later, RWSS and panchayat officials had passed a bill of Rs 3.82 lakh in favour of Devendra’s father Bhaskar who had died in 2016.
The petition revealed that the sarpanch of Janakadeipur had submitted the bills in favour of the wrong person and those were countersigned by the executive officer of the panchayat.
Sources said, during summer season, there is acute shortage of drinking water in many villages of Janakadeipur panchayat of Erasama block.
To meet the crisis, RWSS and block officials supply water through tankers in tractors and award tenders for the same.
But local residents have alleged that authorities are misutilising the funds through false billing and non-supply of water to a majority of villages. Meanwhile, Janakadeipur sarpanch Narmada Pal agreed to the erroneous billing in Devendra’s case.
“I am unaware how the bill was footed in the name of a dead person. I am willing to cooperate with Vigilance officials in the investigation,” he said.