Hazaribag: District Panchayati Raj office of Hazaribag has ordered an investigation into an alleged misappropriation of MNREGA funds worth Rs 27.87 lakh by Alpito gram panchayat mukhiya Sumita Devi and her husband Dhaneshwar Yadav.
In connection with the case, three panchayat secretaries have been suspended Shiv Kumar Prasad (earlier posted in Alpito panchayat, currently in Vishnugarh), Sarju Paswan and Karu Rana.
The panchayati raj department has also initiated action against mukhiya Sunita Devi and her husband Dhaneshwar Yadav. The authorities have indicated that further measures may be taken based on the investigation's findings.
According to block development officer Vishnugarh Akhilesh Kumar's report, the accused were charged with arbitrary functioning, improper signing of govt documents, and unauthorized execution of 19 schemes under MNREGA. Another report revealed theft of essential documents including cash registers and scheme registers from the panchayat bhawan.
Following a govt directive on February 15, 2019, an investigation team has been constituted comprising the director of Accounts Administration and Self-Employment, District Rural Development Agency, Hazaribag as chairman. Other members include the district panchayati raj officer Hazaribag, assistant engineer, (MNREGA) Vishnugarh block, and block programme officer MNREGA Daru.
Deputy commissioner Nancy Sahay has directed the committee to submit a detailed joint investigation report within three days., an official release said.
While no police case has been registered yet against the alleged offenders, criminal proceedings may be initiated following the submission of the detailed investigation report to the deputy commissioner.
The investigation team is expected to thoroughly examine all aspects of the fund misappropriation and document theft, which could lead to arrests of the accused if substantial evidence is found.