Times of India, April 13, 2009
BHAWANIPATNA: The Kalahandi collector has suspended Daspur sarpanch Suratha Sahu for misappropriating Rs 3.5 lakh from Central funds and using the
money for meeting poll expenses. Sahu, who filed his nomination as an Independent from the Junagarh Assembly segment, has reportedly withdrawn Rs 20 lakh from a bank for fictitious projects under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
The matter came to light when a petitioner lodged a complaint with collector R S Gopalan about the fraud. "The petitioner has informed us that Suratha Sahu was using NREGS funds for election purposes," Gopalan said.
Gopalan ordered the Golamunda BDO to probe the matter. The BDO then called Sahu and the village level worker to his office and during questioning, Sahu said he, with the help of the village level worker, had taken Rs 20 lakh from the bank.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Sahu, in the capacity of sarpanch, created fictitious projects to demand the funds under the NREGS scheme. He then asked the BDO and the village level worker to help him withdraw the money. "Sahu confessed that he had demanded Rs 20 lakh by showing projects to be carried out under the NREGS," Gopalan said.
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