Himachal industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan highlights corruption in panchayats of remote, tribal areas
"Corruption level is very high in panchayats of far-flung, hard areas and tribal blocks. Whether it is Sangrah, Shillai or Tilordhar in Sirmaur district or Chamba and other hard areas," said Chauhan.
He claimed that in his own assembly constituency of Shillai, panchayat pradhans had even engaged in corruption amounting to Rs 90 lakh.
Chauhan also pointed out that the blame for corruption was often placed on the panchayat pradhan, but these irregularities could not be executed without the connivance of panchayat employees such as panchayat secretaries, technical assistants, and the block junior engineer.
"I also asked rural development minister Anirudh Singh that they should file criminal cases against such panchayat employees for irregularities like other govt employees," he said.
The minister reasoned that the technical assistance was actually provided by the technical assistant and the block junior assistant, but they go scot-free. "We should immediately suspend such panchayat employees and thereafter terminate their services and initiate criminal action against them to send across a strong message against corruption," he added.
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However, panchayat employees are only issued recovery notices, and after clearing their recoveries, these employees return to normal routine in the panchayats.
Chauhan said he had been highlighting these issues even during the previous BJP govt in the state, both inside and outside Vidhan Sabha. Interacting with the mediapersons, he also assured that there would be strict action against the pradhan of Rampur Bharapur panchayat in Paonta Sahib of Sirmaur district, where a case had been highlighted in which the panchayat showed the transportation of tonnes of construction material, including cement, gravel, and sand, on a two-wheeler.
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