Raipur, Jul 27 The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in Chhattisgarh on Monday filed a 6,000-page charge sheet in a case pertaining to an alleged Rs 1.69-crore financial irregularity in the procurement of materials under the NREGS scheme during 2006-07 and 2007-08, an official said.
The EOW named a dismissed CEO of Kanker Zila Panchayat and then CEOs of seven Janpad Panchayats in the case.
The charge sheet was submitted before the court of the special judge (Prevention of Corruption Act) in Kanker in a case registered under sections 120-B, 409 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 13(1)(c), 13(1)(d) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The investigation found that various materials required for implementing the employment guarantee scheme, including flex boards, muster roll verification sheets, employment guarantee guidelines, employment availability registers, and worker information sheets, were procured without following the prescribed tendering process and procurement rules.
K.P. Dewangan, then Chief Executive Officer of Kanker Zila Panchayat, allegedly introduced a centralised procurement system at the district level, although government rules authorised Janpad Panchayats and Gram Panchayats to undertake procurement independently, the official said.
According to the EOW, the procurement process violated the Chhattisgarh Panchayat (Procurement of Materials and Goods) Rules, Chhattisgarh Stores Purchase Rules, and the prescribed procurement procedures through Chhattisgarh Samvad.
Dewangan allegedly conspired with then CEOs of Janpad Panchayats in Kanker, Narharpur, Charama, Antagarh, Koylibeda, Bhanupratappur and Durgkondal, resulting in the misappropriation and wasteful expenditure of public funds amounting to Rs 1,69,14,247, the EOW said.
According to the investigation, the alleged financial irregularities included Rs 39,90,252 in Kanker Zila Panchayat and Rs 1,29,23,995 across the seven Janpad Panchayats.
The eight accused named in the charge sheet are Dewangan, who has been dismissed from service, then Janpad Panchayat CEOs Radhakant Kar (Kanker), Govardhan Gajballa (Narharpur), Pardeshi Ram Markam (Charama), Bharat Ram Netam (Antagarh), Ramkishun Dhruv (Koylibeda), G.R. Thakur (Bhanupratappur) and Sanwaldas Baghel (Durgkondal).
The investigation has prima facie established evidence of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating and corruption, according to the EOW.
The EOW also stated that Dewangan had previously faced two other corruption cases registered in 2009 and 2010.
The cases pertains to allegations of granting undue benefits to ineligible candidates through forged documents during recruitment, abuse of official position, criminal conspiracy, violation of procurement rules and alleged misappropriation of public funds worth Rs 8.44 crore.
A final report and a charge sheet have already been filed before the court in both the cases.
