Nizamabad: Officials block fraudsters from contesting again

NIZAMABAD: Former sarpanchs who have misappropriated gram panchayat funds have been declared ineligible to contest the forthcoming panchayat elections. If they want to contest, they must repay all the funds they have stolen to the panchayats immediately. 

In undivided Nizamabad district, as many as 152 sarpanchs had misappropriated around Rs 1.46 crore meant for various developmental works.  

The state government sanctions funds for panchayats to provide basic amenities to the people. Several sarpanchs have been misappropriating these funds and have not been punished for it. 

Between 1993 and 2018, 72 sarpanchs in Nizamabad district embezzled Rs 58.39 lakh and 80 sarpanchs in Kamareddy district misappropriated Rs 88.11 lakh. 

Panchayat officials should initiate action under the Revenue Recovery (RR) Act to get back the money. The Act enables the officials to confiscate the properties of the erring sarpanchs. But thanks to the political protection offered to them at high levels, the sarpanchs escape punishment. The issue of swindling the public exchequer in this blatant manner has come to the fore just now because of the elections that are due.   

Kamareddy district panchayat officer G. Sayanna said that a defaulters list has been prepared and communicated to the gram panchayats concerned. The contestants must provide a 'no-dues' certificate when filing their nomination papers, he said. If they have misappropriated funds, they must re-pay the money and get clearance from the district panchayat office. 

Since it is impossible to repay the huge amounts siphoned off in such a short span of time, more than 100 former sarpanchs may be ineligible to contest in old Nizamabad district. Those who owe smaller amounts are planning to repay the amount and contest the elections.