COIMBATORE/TIRUPPUR: Ombudspersons of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme have recommended action against officials of two panchayats in Coimbatore and Tiruppur for misappropriating funds by using forged documents.
In Coimbatore, based on a complaint from M Selvaraj a resident of Chinniampalayam panchayat, P.Navaneetha Krishnan, district grievance officer and ombudsperson of MGNREGS, conducted a field inspection and found that 18 people, including a mill owner and hotel owner and most of them without a job card, received money under MGNREGS without working.
According to the report, S Rangasamy, owner of a mill got Rs 13,104 and Subramanian, who runs a hotel and owns a car got Rs 20,530 between January 2021 and March 2023. “We came to know that panchayat authorities created fake records and looted money in the name of laying the road. They used a ready mixer vehicle and laid the concrete road. However, they created records saying they have engaged 18 labourers under MGNREGS,” said Selvaraj.
Navaneetha Krishnan said, “I have recommended to collector Kranthi Kumar Pati to stop releasing funds to the panchayat until an investigation is over.” Also, he recommended departmental and criminal action against the Chinniampalayam panchayat president, panchayat secretary and block-level officers who failed to monitor and report the matter to the higher officials.
In Tiruppur, ombudsperson, M Premalatha found that former panchayat secretary and field supervisor of Arisanampalayam panchayat had swindled Rs 37,185 by creating fake work schedules using the land of deceased persons.
M Soundara Devi, a petitioner said, “A few weeks ago, I along with my friends submitted an RTI seeking details for the three years (2019, 2020, 2021) of MGNREGS payments, following which we found out that the then Arisanampalayam panchayat secretary, Karuppasamy, colluded with field supervisor Uma Maheshwari to create three fake work schedules and swindled Rs 37,185. Immediately, we filed a complaint with the Ombudsman.”
Prakash, a villager, said, “The two used a proposal from district administration to build earthen bunds in a farmlands. They created three work schedules on farmland that was owned by Muthusamy, who died 10 years ago They managed to use the old land documents for this. “
An official from Tiruppur district administration said the ombudsperson on October 3 inspected the panchayat office and made field visits. Her report was submitted on October 25. Besides recommending action against Karuppasamy and Uma Maheshwari, along with BDO, panchayat president and zonal block development Officer, she directed the BDO to recover the money from the panchayat secretary and field supervisor.