Theethipalayam panchayat prez faces graft charges

Coimbatore: The vice-president and councillors of Theethipalayam panchayat in Thondamuthur have accused the panchayat president of indulging in corruption.
They have sent a complaint to the district collector, district rural development agency project officer and assistant director of panchayats seeking action against the panchayat president as well as a few other councillors and staff in the panchayat.
They were accused of misappropriation of funds, demolition of panchayat property, siphoning of project funds and non-implementation of projects. Panchayat president P Kandasamy, however, has denied the charges and said he was ready for a probe.
According to the complaint, a public toilet which was in proper shape and used by several villagers was demolished just because it was located close to the properties of the panchayat president and his relatives.
A drinking water connection was given to the cattle shed of E Jagan, councillor of ward 6 and a close associate of the panchayat president. Though it was only a cow shed, they have falsely claimed to have built a house in the site and obtained the connection in connivance with the president, the complaint said.
The petition said as against the government rules and multiple court orders that reserve sites should not be utilised for any purpose, the panchayat president was building an overhead tank in the six-cent reserve site at Murugan.
Similarly, panchayat records show that a kabaddi court has been set up at the reserve site at Annai Velankanni Nagar under MGNREGA scheme.
“But no such work was undertaken under the scheme. Funds under the scheme were siphoned off by producing false documents to show that such a work was undertaken,” the complainant said.
Documents were submitted to show that a work was undertaken through MGNREGA scheme to set up a volley ball court and people were paid for the work. But the fact is no such volley ball court was set up, said the complaint signed by about eight councillors and the panchayat vice-president.
Kandasamy said that they were building the overhead tank in the reserve site because they couldn’t find an appropriate place. The toilet was demolished long back and there were plans to build a new and better toilet. For the volley ball court and kabaddi court, Kandasamy said they have sought more funds and once the funds are allocated work will be done in a full-fledged manner.