Indian
Express: Coimbatore: Monday, 28 September 2015.
A query by an
RTI activist has revealed that the Karumathampatty panchayat spent over Rs 53
lakh to maintain its 1,830 streetlights in the last three years.
Executive
Officer Ganesan said in his reply to a query from the activist, Daniel
Jesudass, that the panchayat had spent Rs 53,22,438 starting from 2012 January
to 2015 January 1 on maintaining streetlights.
The
month-wise expenses given in the reply also create suspicions, said Daniel.
While only Rs 9,850 was spent in May 2012, the figure was Rs 1,89,128 in
October 2012. Such huge spending is unnecessary as the panchayat has only 1,830
streetlights.
“Why do they
need to such frequent maintenance when a tubelight can function for more than
two years without problems? Public money was swindled by the elected
representatives with the help of panchayat officials,” he alleged.
“I also asked
the Executive Officer for details of streetlights and related items that were
replaced during these three years. But, no reply was given to these questions,”
he said.
“There are
such irregularities in the 37 panchayats in Coimbatore district, not just in
Karumathampatty panchayat. Collector Archana Patnaik should look into the issue
by ordering an audit so that such misappropriation of public funds is stopped,”
he added.
Replying to
another RTI query from Daniel, the Assistant Director of Panchayats,
Coimbatore, said there were no violations in building construction rules in the
panchayat.
However,
Daniel alleged that the authorities had allowed house owners to construct
additional buildings without proper approvals from the panchayat or the local
Planning authority after taking bribes.
Daniel said
that through these RTI queries, he wanted to show people how public funds were
being misused in the name of creating and maintaining basic amenities.
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