The Chhattisgarh Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has filed a 6,000-page chargesheet against eight former panchayat officials in connection with an alleged ₹1.69 crore financial irregularity in procurement under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Event Context
The chargesheet was filed on July 27 before the special judge (Prevention of Corruption Act) in Kanker under Sections 120B, 409 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The EOW in a statement alleged irregularities took place during 2006-07 and 2007-08 when materials such as flex boards, muster roll verification sheets, employment guarantee manuals, employment registers, file covers and labour information sheets were procured under the rural employment scheme.
Investigators alleged that the procurement was carried out without following the prescribed tendering and purchase procedures.
The probe found that then Kanker Zila Panchayat CEO adopted a centralised procurement system at the district level despite government rules authorising Janpad Panchayats and Gram Panchayats to procure materials independently.
The agency said the investigation found violations of the Chhattisgarh Panchayat (Purchase of Materials and Goods) Rules, the Chhattisgarh Store Purchase Rules and other prescribed procurement procedures. It alleged that the officials acted in connivance, abused their official positions and caused a loss of ₹1,69,14,247 to the government.
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Of the total alleged irregularity, ₹39.90 lakh pertained to Kanker Zila Panchayat, while the remaining ₹1.29 crore was linked to seven Janpad Panchayats—Kanker, Narharpur, Charama, Antagarh, Koylibeda, Bhanupratappur and Durgkondal.
