Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi has ordered a probe into the alleged misappropriation of government funds by Congress legislator N. Danavelou by submitting fake bills for filling diesel in his official vehicle.
“I have already ordered an inquiry by the Chief Secretary. I will await the inquiry report to proceed under the law. Officers clearing bills wrongly will be held accountable,” she told The Hindu.
Mr. Danavelou was accused of producing fake bills for filling diesel in his official vehicle.
Taking a stern stand, the Lieutenant Governor said she would not hesitate to order recovery of money cleared in violation of rules. Ms. Bedi said she had informed the Election Commission, the President and the Union government on the breach committed by the former Chief Secretary in appointing chairman and chairpersons for boards and societies.
“Conditions of the service of the chairman and chairpersons were changed by the former Chief Secretary behind my back. It is a serious breach of rules. We detected the breach only after his departure,” she said.
On the latest information available in the public domain about expenditure incurred by seven legislators appointed as heads of government-funded boards and societies, she said action would be initiated if they had used funds unlawfully.
Fresh controversy
A new controversy has erupted after the Rajiv Gandhi Human Rights Awareness Organisation released expenditure incurred by the legislators for paying salary to their personal staff and for other expenses.
The seven legislators incurred around ₹60 lakh between July 2016 and May 2017.
The expenditure incurred by legislators were as follows: N. Danavelou, ₹12 lakh; M.N.R Balan, ₹11 lakh; V. Vizeaveny, ₹10 lakh; E. Theeppaintathan, ₹9 lakh; T. Djeamourthy, ₹9 lakh; Geetha Anandan, ₹8 lakh; and R. Siva, ₹88,910.
While most of them had shown their expenditure towards salary to the personal staff, Mr Danavelou accounted a good part of the amount spent for procuring Deepavali crackers, expenses for diesel and gift boxes. Around ₹5 lakh was spent from PAPSCO, a society which was finding it difficult even to provide salary, to procure crackers for Deepavali festival.
AIADMK to complain
AIADMK leader A. Anbalagan said at a press conference that his party would file a complaint against the seven legislators with the Election Commission if they did not demit office within a week. The expenditure by the members came under the ambit of office of profit. “If they don’t want to repeat the mistake committed by AAP legislators in Delhi, they should forgo the post of chairman and chairperson immediately,” he said.
