Minister suspends 3 officials for irregularities in Nagaur

Jaipur: The state’s rural development department and panchayati raj minister Ramesh Chand Meena on Saturday suspended three officials for overpayment of Rs 10.41 lakh over the approved BSR rate to two firms in the purchase of items required for tubewell excavation in Nagaur panchayat samiti.
Panchayati raj secretary P C Kishan issued an order to suspend Satpal, the then block development officer of Nagaur panchayat samiti; Hariram Firoda, the then assistant engineer of Nagaur panchayat samiti; and Hari Gopal Dhoot, assistant accounts officer-1 of Khinwsar panchayat samiti, Nagaur.Departmental inquiry has been proposed against them, an official statement said.
The officials have been suspended with immediate effect in exercise of the powers conferred under Rule 13 of the Rajasthan Civil Services (Classification Control and Appeal) Rules, 1958.
The department suspended three officials for irregularities in the construction work done between 2015 and 2018 at the Nagaur panchayat samiti under the TFC (tenth finance commission) and SFC (state finance commission) heads. Khinwsar MLA Narayan Beniwal had raised a question regarding this matter during the state assembly proceedings. The panchayati raj minister, taking cognisance of the matter, gave directions to suspend the officials concerned.
A committee was constituted by Nagaur district collector to investigate the works done between 2015 and 2018 in Nagaur panchayat samiti. When inquiry was done by the committee, it was found that an excess payment of Rs 9.53 lakh was made to Tarachand Nai Alay and an excess payment of Rs 88,900 (for Sinod gram panchayat) was made to Mahadev Builders.
The inquiry committee wished to recover the excess payment made to both the firms. tnn