Case Study
RTI- An Instrument
empowering Common people to fight out corruption at grass-root level
Apprehending corruption and
irregularities in development projects undertaken in Marthapur Gram Panchayat
of Balipatna Block under Khurda district of Odisha, a group of people submitted complaint to District Collector, Khurda in his Grievance Cell
on 24th August 2015 and BDO, Balipatna Block demanding an enquiry into
it. Following order of the Collector and subsequent request of BDO, Balipatna,
the District Panchayat Officer, Khorda wrote a letter No. dt. 603/GP, dated
7.9.15 to the Sub-Collector, Bhubaneswar to
depute Sub-Divisional Panchayat
Officer to conduct an enquiry of Marthapur Gram Panchayat to detect details of
funds misappropriated by the personnel and furnish a Report.
In the meantime, series of
RTI Applications were submitted by Pandab Pradhan, Manoj Swain,
grass-root RTI Activists associated with
Odisha Soochana
adhikar Abhijan ( a state-level forum of Activists sprearheading campaign
for effective implementation of RTI Act in Odisha ) to the PIO, office of Marthapur Gram
Panchayat, BDO, Balipatna to get the
information about the following works undertaken, project sanctioned, fund
utilized with copy of bill and vouchures under
different schemes like fund
sanctioned under State Finance Commission,
Twelfth Finance Commission, Gopabandhu Gramin Yojana, GP Fund etc. from
2013-14 to 2015-16 .
i. Talapadia
Harijan Sahi Drain & CC Road
ii. Construction of Cement Concrete Road
at Badakuda Thakurani Pitha & Construction of Giri Gobardhan Pitha
iii. Cement
Concrete Road from house of Antaryami Pradhan to Bharat Pradhan House.
iv. Cement
Concrete Road from house of Laxmidhar Pradhan to
Gangadhar Pradhan House
v. Renovation
of Gram Panchayat Office.
It was assessed by the
villagers that the entire sanctioned amount
around Rs. 30 lakhs has been misappropriated by Panchayat executive
Officer, Sarapanch and Contractors by making false Bill and vouchures.
However, though the information
was provided by the concerned PIOs, it was found incomplete and RTI Application
was also not responded in the absence of records. It was highlighted in media exposing huge
corruption in Gram Panchayat which drew the attention of the authorities.
As per request of District
Panchayat Officer, the SDPO conducted enquiry investing all the records and
documents , making spot inspection of
all the works shown in file as completed with cooperation of the villagers
in October and November,2015 and
produced the report 0n 24.12.16. with following note of observation and
recommendation.
1. The
amount of Rs. 43,000.00 and Rs. 23,000.00 withdrawn
on 6.1.2015 and 19.1.2015 from SFC
account has been expended in beautification of GP
and purchase of furniture without
any estimate, administrative approval,
technical sanction. Both Sarapanch and Ex-PEO are jointly responsible
for it.
2. The
amount of Rs. 28,000.00 withdrawn
on 14.11.14 from TFC account
for payment of honourarium of
Sarapanch and Naib Sarapanch & S.A.,
D.A. of members of GP. But no payment is
done and the amount has been misappropriated.
3. The
amount of Rs. 2, 75,154.00 has been illegally withdrawn from TFC account
without any estimate, bill, measurement/ check measurement by any technical
person. No administrative approval has been taken for the above three mentioned
projects The projects have not been approved in the GP meeting. The Sarapanch and Ex-PEO are jointly responsible
for such illegal withdrawal of money.
Recommendation for Action
1. Necessary
disciplinary action may be taken against the Ex-PEO Sri Trilochan Nayak for his
carelessness, negligence in Government duty and financial irregularities.
2. Necessary disciplinary action also may be
taken against the Sarapanch Smt.
Sandhyarani Pradhan for her negligence
in duty, misappropriation of
Government money, financial irregularities and without following guideline, non-discharge
of the duty properly as provided under
section 115 of O.G.P. Act, 1964.
Though the
Report was produced to the Collector, no action was taken against the
delinquent officials. On 21.1.12016, RTI
Application was submitted to the PIO, Office of Collector, Khurda seeking copy of the Enquiry report and
Action taken against the officials
involved in misappropriation of report. On 27.2.16, the
PIO supplied the copy of the enquiry
report along with a statement
that “no action
has been taken against the
delinquent regarding irregularities committed
in the Gram Panchayat till yet”.
After obtaining the information, it was exposed in media
highlighting the content of the
report and Govt.’s dillydallying to
take action against the delinquents.
Then the villagers staged Dharana in front of Balipatna Block office
demanding immediate action against Sarapanch and Panchayat Extension officer
and recovery of the money. A delegation
of RTI Activists and villagers also met
Commissioner-cum Secretary, Dept. of Panchayat Raj demanding action
against them as per enquiry report. This
fight took three months to yield the
result.
Being pressurized
by the people armed
with RTI information, the
district administration suspended
Sri Trilochan Nayak, Ex-PEO and
issued show cause notice
for disciplinary action. On 7.7.16, the Department of
Panchayat Raj issued order dt. 7.6.16 under sub-section (2) of section-115 of
Odisha Gram Panchayat Act, 1965 to place Smt. Sandhyarani pradhan,
Sarapanch of Marthapur GP under suspension.
Though the
people got small victory after a long fight with the administration, the
problem has not been solved. The money misappropriated has not been recovered
from them till yet. No disciplinary
action has been taken against them.
Case Study
Prepared by
Pradip Pradhan
State Convener, Odisha Soochana Adhikar
Abhijan
M-9937843482
