Former TN panchayat president faces criminal action for fund misuse
The Coimbatore district administration is preparing to initiate criminal proceedings against former Ramapattinam panchayat president R. Ponnusamy for alleged misappropriation of government funds during his tenure.
The action follows the direction of District Collector G. Giriyappanavar to the Assistant Director (AD) of Panchayats to file a police complaint.
According to officials, Ponnusamy is accused of misusing funds under two major government schemes — the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
Kamalakannan, Assistant Director of Panchayats, said that the Pollachi North Block Development Officer (BDO), who returned to duty on Monday after 10-day leave, has been instructed to file a formal police complaint in the coming days.
'There was a delay in initiating the complaint due to the BDO's absence,' he admitted, adding that the officer has now been directed to follow up on the matter and submit a detailed report to the Collector.
As per sources, the District Collector ordered the AD to take action since the panchayat president's tenure has ended, limiting the scope for direct administrative action.
A government probe revealed that Ponnusamy failed to execute check dam construction works on lands belonging to two local residents — Nagaraj and Nithyananthan — despite receiving funds for the same.
The Collector has ordered the recovery of Rs 6.53 lakh from Ponnusamy on this count. The investigation also found that Ponnusamy authorised the disbursal of Rs 1.07 lakh as daily wages to workers and purchased raw materials worth Rs 4.50 lakh by submitting forged documents.
The payment was reportedly made to a vendor named Nataraj, who has since repaid Rs 2.09 lakh to the government.
The Collector's order emphasised that Ponnusamy failed to obtain the necessary approvals for these projects through gram sabha meetings and did not secure administrative sanction from the district authorities.
Additionally, he failed to maintain proper records of workers' attendance and wage disbursal.
'The explanation submitted by Ponnusamy after the misappropriation was found to be unsatisfactory,' the order noted.
Officials said the criminal complaint is likely to be filed at the local police station within the week, marking the start of formal legal proceedings against the former panchayat head.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Not a single thing will move forward: Arvind Kejriwal warns of ‘development freeze' if AAP loses Ludhiana West byelection; praises Sanjeev Arora
Arvind Kerjriwal LUDHIANA: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday issued a veiled ultimatum to voters in Ludhiana West, warning that public works and development would grind to a halt if they fail to elect AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora in the June 19 byelection. "If you vote for any other party, not a single thing will move forward," Kejriwal told a rally at Sanet village, where he campaigned alongside Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann . "Only an AAP MLA can get your work done." Kejriwal doubled down by promising Arora a cabinet berth in the Mann govt if elected. "Ministers have their own funds and powers. Elect Arora, and Ludhiana West will see unprecedented development," he said, tying basic civic work directly to the party's electoral success. The remarks, though delivered with typical campaign flair, triggered sharp criticism for the implied threat to stall public services if voters reject the ruling party's nominee. At the event, Kejriwal praised Arora as humble, accessible, and a "true Sikh" guided by Guru Sahib's values. He contrasted him with Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu, branding Ashu as arrogant and ineffective. "He can't bring funds; he only abuses Bhagwant Mann," Kejriwal said. Kejriwal cited Arora's prior involvement in resolving over 70% of long-pending registry issues in Sanet as proof of his capability. "We visited in March, and I gave Arora the task. He delivered within two months. Elect him, and the rest will be sorted within a month," he said. CM Mann echoed the sentiment, vowing that Arora's elevation would fast-track development. "Other govts start working in their final months. We started on day one," he said, touting AAP's record of hiring 54,154 govt employees based on merit, not political recommendation. He also praised Arora's philanthropic work, including a Rs 16 crore fundraiser for a child with a rare disease, and cited improved govt school results, functioning Mohalla Clinics, and reforms in water and energy sectors as evidence of AAP's delivery-focused governance.
Hans India
27 minutes ago
- Hans India
A tightrope walk as debt burden weighs
Vijayawada: It has been a tightrope walk for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led National Democratic Alliance government in Andhra Pradesh, which is completing one year in office on Thursday (today), and its Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu. Though the government under the leadership of Naidu initiated a slew of measures to boost economic growth and implemented welfare schemes, it had to work against all odds given the debt burden that weighed on the State. Naidu, who assumed charge as of AP Chief Minister for the fourth time on June 12, 2024, frequently said he started off with a millstone around his neck. He pointed out that the previous government had pushed the state back by 30 years, burdening it with Rs 10 lakh crore in debts and another Rs 1.2 lakh crore in unpaid bills. 'The annual interest alone stands at Rs 40,000 crore,' he remarked when the NDA government assumed office. Looking back, the Chief Minister said recently: 'Brick by brick, we are rebuilding the devastated state and in just one year, we have shown what good governance looks like by giving priority to both welfare and development.' Minister for Information and Public Relations K Parthasarathi told Hans India that the one-year period of the NDA government focused on both welfare and development. He said both Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and IT Minister Nara Lokesh aimed at wealth creation and uplift of the poor, simultaneously implementing welfare schemes. He said the coalition government had laid a solid foundation for the benefit of future generations. To begin with, the NDA government enhanced the old age pension to Rs 4,000 per month. Apart from that, it has been distributing pension amounts of Rs 6,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 to various categories of people including physically challenged. The state government is spending a whopping Rs 33,000 crore a year on pensions to 64 lakh people. No other state government pays such high pension amounts in the country. In addition, under Deepam 2, the NDA government is giving three free LPG cylinders per year to women. Besides, the state government revived 73 central schemes, though the previous government had diverted central funds, resulting in AP being blacklisted. The NDA government is now planning to provide free solar rooftops to 20 lakh SC/ST houses under PM Surya Ghar Yojana. Upon taking office, the NDA govt repealed the Land Titling Act that had removed protection for people's lands and introduced a new Anti-Land Grabbing Act. With the Centre's support, the state government put the much-awaited Polavaram Project back on track. The project will now be completed by December 2027.
News18
31 minutes ago
- News18
ED Raids 24 Locations In Rajasthan, Gujarat In Money Laundering Case
The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at 24 locations in Rajasthan and Gujarat in connection with a Rs 2700 crore money laundering case.
