Toilet scam: Collectorate staff protest action against five

COIMBATORE: Employees and officials working in the development department of the collectorate staged a sit-in protest and refused to take up work on Monday in protest against the action taken against five more officials in the toilet scam that was unearthed at K

Madhapur

village in Sulur taluk in February. Action had already been initiated in February against three officials involved in the scam.

“Inspections were held and action was taken. We accept that the wrong-doers should be punished,” said P

Krishnaswamy

, general secretary,

Tamil Nadu Rural Development Association

. “Action against more officials for the same issue was not acceptable.”

The department officials did not wish to comment on Section 17B of the Tamil Nadu Civil Services, Discipline and Appeal rules for incurring financial losses to the government that was imposed on the five officials. Krishnaswamy said the officials had not received any order.

Sources told TOI that the order was passed, but the officials had not received it. “The order was passed on Friday (April 6) night,” said an official.

The development department officials who staged the protest said they had held talks with the project director of the

District Rural and Development Agency

. “We will protest until the issue is resolved,” said Krishnaswamy.

Collector T N Hariharan could not be reached for a comment.

On February 20, TOI carried a news report explaining how lakhs of rupees was siphoned off by contractors and some panchayat officials at K Madhapur village panchayat. Older toilets were repainted and fake beneficiaries were made to pose in front of the toilets. While the toilet owners were paid Rs 3,000, the remaining amount of Rs 9,000 per toilet was siphoned off by contractors and panchayat officials. Similarly, in front of the same toilet, several fake beneficiaries were asked to pose and these pictures were uploaded on the Swachh Bharat Mission website.