Hyderabad: BJP state president Bandi Sanjay has urged union Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Giriraj Singh to probe into the misuse of the 15th Finance Commission funds by the Telangana government.
In a letter addressed to Giriraj Singh, Sanjay alleged that without the knowledge of sarpanches and upa-sarpanches, the officials of the Panchayat Raj Department have withdrawn the 15th Finance Commission funds to pay old dues against the rules.
He brought to the notice of the union Minister that as per the Panchayat Raj Act, sarpanches were entitled to draw money and spend it for welfare and other development activities in the respective gram panchayats. However, officials of the Panchayat Raj department misused the digital key of the bank accounts of sarpanches and withdrew money without their knowledge and utilised it for paying power bills already due and also for advance payment of bills.
He said that there was misappropriation of funds, hence, the centre should probe the issue and take action against the State government. He also asked the State government to deposit the amount sanctioned by the 15th Finance Commission back into the accounts of the sarpanches.
eom