Sardarpur (Madhya Pradesh): Sardarpur sub-divisional magistrate Rahul Chouhan has recommended booking former sarpanch Sharda Hariram Patel and sitting secretary Ravindra Patidar of Phoolwadi gram panchayat in Sardarpur tehsil for payment of Rs 8 lakh out of a total of Rs 10 lakh allotted for the community hall, even though construction is yet to start.
In the report submitted to Dhar district collector Dr Pankaj Jain, SDM Chouhan also recommended action against janpad panchayat CEO Shailendra Sharma considering the functioning of the CEO suspicious.
Notably, during the financial year 2021-22, the finance development department sanctioned Rs 10 lakh for the construction of a community hall for the tribals from Bandikhali hamlet that falls under Phoolwadi gram panchayat, about three kilometres from Sardarpur tehsil headquarters.
The gram panchayat got Rs 8 lakh for the construction, and eight months back, local MLA Pratap Grewal performed Bhoomi Pujan for the construction. But even after the passing of eight months, no construction work has been started at the spot.
If this is not enough, the then sarpanch Sharda Patel and secretary Patidar made a payment of Rs 7,84,402 after receiving fake bills from nine firms, even though no work was done.
Failing to see any development on the land, the tribals raised their voice and taking cognizance, SDM Chouhan constituted a 4-member investigation team on November 2, to investigate this matter and submit the investigation report by evening on the same day.
A letter was also forwarded to janpad panchayat CEO Shailendra Sharma instructing him to inform about the status of the matter by the evening of the same day.
Meanwhile, the head of the investigation team, SDO, rural engineering department, Arvind Patidar, after examining the entire matter closely, submitted the investigation report to SDM Chouhan on November 5. It has been revealed in this investigation report that the then sarpanch Sharda Hariram Patel and the current secretary Ravindra Patidar made payments despite nothing being done on the ground.
SDM Chouhan, in a letter to the collector on November 5, quoting the investigation report, mentions that sarpanch Sharda Patel and the current secretary Ravindra Patidar made payments of Rs Rs 7,84,402 through fake bills. SDM recommended the booking of Patel and Patidar.
Similarly, he recommended action against Janpad Panchayat CEO Sharma for disregarding the order of the SDM in this matter.
According to reliable sources, the functioning of Sardarpur janpad panchayat deputy engineer Moharsingh Pahlaya is also very suspicious in this case as the entire construction work was supposed to be done on time under his supervision.
