DVAC probe brings out panchayat level corruption in welfare schemes

A DVAC probe has brought out the ways of corruption embedded among the panchayat level officials while they implement state and central government welfare schemes - be it solar powered green house scheme or Indira Awaz yojna or widow pension or pension under uzhavar paathukappu Thittam or giving pension for disabled persons or approving lay outs or implimentation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

The probe team investigated the 'functioning' of Thengalapalayam panchayat in Rasipuram in Namakkal district to see how every welfare scheme is undermined by officers to make money for themselves.

The accused in the case are T.Amuthavalli, formerly Panchayat president, Thengalpalayam Panchayat, Rasipuram, Namakkal, T.AIIimuthu, formerly Village Administrative Officer, Thengalpalayam, now VAO at R.Pudupalayam, Rasipuram R.Tamilmani, private individual and husband of Amuthavslli, T.Raguprasanth, son of Amuthavslli, C.Gunasekaran, former BDO, V.Meera Bai, former BDO, now district Panchayat Secretary, Namakkal, K.K.Sreenivasan, Assistant Engineer (Rural Development), formerly Vennandur Block, Now Mallasamudram Block, K.R.Baby, Overseer, formerly Vennandur Block, Now Rasipuram Block, M.Usha Overseer, formerly Vennandur Block, Now Elachipalayam Block, R.Devi, private individual and P.Sumathi, Panchayat Secretary, formerly Thengalapalayam Village Panchayat, Now Kattanachampatty Village Panchayat, Rasipuram.

Amuthavalli, Allimuthu and Tamilmani connived, received illegal gratification ranging from Rs.3000 to Rs 10000 from ineligible persons and recommended their names to getting old age pension.

Amuthavalli and her husband Tamilmani received several lakhs of rupees from the labourers who were registered in the records as if they have done work in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) implemented in two phases in Thengalpalayam Village actually without doing any work. They obtained the amount as reward for illegally allowing the labourers to claim wages without doing work by making false entries in records.

As the panchayat implemented various welfare schemes Amuthavalli and her husband with the connivance of other officers created false documents to enable non eligible persons to claim benefits and thus received illegal gratification, DVAC alleged in the FIR.

All the accused has been slapped with case registered under provisions of Prevention of Corruption act and IPC sections inclduing criminal conspiracy and cheating.