Villagers alleged Rs 25 lakh scam in Dhonga panchayat, Deosar, by showing old road as new
Residents of Dhonga panchayat in Deosar block, Singrauli, alleged that Rs 25 lakh of District Mineral Foundation funds were spent on a roughly 10-year-old road shown as newly built, and demanded a high-level inquiry.
A sensational case of an alleged Rs 25 lakh scam emerged from Dhonga gram panchayat under Deosar block panchayat in the district. It was alleged that the sarpanch and secretary got funds sanctioned from the DMF (District Mineral Foundation) for rebuilding a roughly 10-year-old road and pocketed Rs 25 lakh. Besides the sarpanch, secretary and employment assistant, other responsible department officials including the sub-engineer were reportedly involved. Villagers were deeply angry over the alleged fraud. They believed a PCC (cement concrete) road could have been built for Rs 25 lakh, yet the road remained as it was and about Rs 25 lakh had been spent. Villagers said the sarpanch and secretary did not consider that the roughly 10-year-old culvert was enough to prove that a road had been built there earlier.
Funds spent from DMF
The alleged scam over the Chhuhiya approach road in Dhonga panchayat involved the mineral foundation fund. The district’s mineral foundation fund was meant to be spent on development work, but responsible officials were unable to curb its misuse, and big scams kept surfacing, villagers said.
Work lasted about four days
According to villagers, work went on for about four days to show the 10-year-old road as newly built. A JCB machine was used to dump surrounding soil on the road and some gravel was also laid, but the road was not even properly repaired. As the road was old and funds were sanctioned in the name of new construction, villagers alleged the scam was carried out as part of a complete conspiracy.
Work done through a contractor
Villagers also said that whatever work was done over the four days was carried out through one Ranglal Sahu, though the contractor system was not in force in panchayats. If the villagers’ allegation was true, the sarpanch and secretary, by getting the work done through a contractor, had wronged the village’s labourers and also openly challenged the government. What the truth was could be clarified only after an inquiry.
Alleged collusion of department officials
After the case of about Rs 25 lakh being spent in the name of new road construction emerged, it appeared that, besides the sarpanch and secretary, other responsible department officials were also involved in the affair. Villagers demanded a high-level inquiry.
Culvert as evidence of an old road
The condition of the roughly 10-year-old culvert built on this road indicated that the road must have been built along with or before the culvert. The question arose: if no road existed, why was a culvert built? It meant a road was built earlier, which was why the culvert was constructed. A 10-year-old culvert and a road supposedly newly built about four months earlier were certainly under suspicion.
