Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, December 08 2008:
POLICE REGISTERED a case of misused of funds amounting to 1.55 lakh of a gram panchayat in Bishnupur district of Manipur after the members of his gram panchayat lodged a complaint against the pradhan, a police source said Monday.
The case registered on last Saturday stated that the pradhan of the Thanga part-1 gram panchayat named O Mangi Meetei had withdrawn a total fund of Rs.1.55 lakhs sanctioned and released to the gram panchayat under various schemes like Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Rojgar Yojnana (PRMGRY), NREGS and other schemes related with establishment of self help groups awarded by the state finance commission during 2007-08 .
The pradhan has also been charge of selected beneficiaries of these schemes in his own interest without consultation with the members of the gram panchayat under him including the Upa pradhan.
The case has been taken up by the Moirang police station following an instruction of the SP Bishnupur district who received a written report from the DC of the same district.
The DC received in turn received the complaint from 12 members of the Thanga part-1 gram panchayat led by upa pradhan H Samugou, the source said.
In the complaint of the members, it was alleged said that the pradhan who is also endorse as bank operator of the gram panchayat had fraudulently withdrawn Rs 90,000 in October this year from the Moirang Primary Co-operative Bank where the account of the gram panchayat is opened.
The amount is awarded to the gram panchayat by the state finance commission for the year 2007-08 in January this year.
The pradhan had withdrawn the amount but failed to distribute to the beneficiaries under various schemes taken up by the panchayat.
The pradhan Mangi also selected members of the vigilance and monitoring committee of the GP and gram rojgar sevak and GRS under NREGS on his own choice without any consultation with the members of the GP, the complaint alleged.
The members also alleged the pradhan of selecting beneficiaries of the self help groups without the knowledge and consultation of the members apart from withdrawing Rs.50,000, Rs.7,500 and Rs 7.500 categorically from the funds mean for taking up poultry and weaving through the self help groups within the GP.