Virudhunagar Collector nixes panchayat president's power to sign cheque

In a statement, the Collector said the Block Development Officer (Village Panchayat) of Sattur had been authorised to sign the cheques of the Mettamalai panchayat until further orders.

VIRUDHUNAGAR: District Collector J Meghanath Reddy cancelled the cheque signing power of the Mettamalai Panchayat President for preventing the special investigation team from inspecting the documents related to a corruption case on Monday.

In a statement, the Collector said the Block Development Officer (Village Panchayat) of Sattur had been authorised to sign the cheques of the Mettamalai panchayat until further orders.

"The DVAC sleuths arrested the Secretary of Mettamalai panchayat T Kathiresan, who demanded a bribe amount of `20,000 for approving a building plan submitted by a resident Vasanthi on February 8. He was lodged in the Sub Jail, Srivilliputhur. Since the Panchayat President S Parthasarathy refused to give the DVAC sleuths the required documents, a five-member special investigation team — Executive Engineer (Rural Development), Assistant Director (Panchayat), Zonal Officer of Sattur Union, Block Development Officer (Village Panchayat), Sattur and Assistant Engineer, Sattur Union — was formed. However, when this team went to Mettamalai, the President locked the panchayat office and left the office premises. Even though the lock was broken open in front of the Village Administrative Officer, the team found the required documents missing," the Collector said.

The President also prevented the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission Scheme in his panchayat, Meghanath Reddy further said.

The Collector used his emergency power under Section 203 of Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act, 1994, to cancel the cheque signing power of the President.

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