Bhiwani Deputy Commissioner Sahil Gupta has suspended a kanungo (revenue department official) and the sarpanch of Devawas village in separate cases over alleged negligence in the discharge of official duties and financial irregularities in development works.
According to orders issued by the Deputy Commissioner, Sumer Singh, who is currently posted as a kanungo, was suspended following an inquiry into a complaint forwarded to the district administration by the Lokayukta.
The complaint alleged that while serving as patwari in Loharh village, Sumer Singh had a mutation sanctioned but failed to incorporate it into the revenue records (jamabandi).
The matter was investigated by Additional Deputy Commissioner Deepak Babulal Karwa, who found Sumer Singh guilty of negligence. Acting on the inquiry report, the Deputy Commissioner suspended him with immediate effect.
The suspension order states that during the suspension period, Sumer Singh's headquarters has been shifted to Siwani and that he has been directed not to leave the headquarters without prior permission from the Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil), Siwani.
In a separate case, the Deputy Commissioner suspended Sultan Singh, the sarpanch of Devawas village, after an inquiry prima facie found him accountable for financial irregularities in development works.
The district administration had constituted a three-member committee, headed by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Bhiwani, and comprising the Executive Engineers of the Panchayati Raj Department and the Zila Parishad, to investigate a complaint alleging embezzlement by the sarpanch.
The inquiry reportedly found financial irregularities in several development works, deficiencies in the verification of construction materials, and serious discrepancies in official records.
The complaint alleged financial loss to the gram panchayat in the construction of the boundary wall of an old-age home, payment of bills for various street and road construction works without verification of materials by the Panchayati Raj Department, irregularities in the procurement of cement for the construction of a boundary wall at a Shiv temple, and the submission of fake bills for repair work at an Anganwadi centre in the village.
Acting on the committee's findings, the Deputy Commissioner suspended Sultan Singh and barred him from participating in any panchayat meetings during the suspension period under Section 51(2) of the Panchayati Raj Act.
The Deputy Commissioner also directed the panchayat secretary to immediately take possession of all movable and immovable assets, funds, records and documents of the gram panchayat and hand them over to the senior-most panch in accordance with the rules.