Calcutta/Suri, April 25: With the polls around the corner, municipal affairs minister Asok Bhattacharya today turned the heat on the Congress-Trinamul Congress-run Suri municipality.

Accusing it of misappropriating funds, the minister has scrapped over 500 appointments made by its chairman.

?In December 2004, the municipality recruited 521 people with a salary of Rs 710 by merely passing a resolution. They diverted funds from a central employment scheme to pay salaries to these employees. We deem this as misappropriation of funds... a criminal offence,? Bhattacharya said.

The government has already ordered annulment of the resolution and the local magistrate has started the process.

After annulment, the recruitment decision will stand to be as one made personally by the chairman of the civic body. ?We will slap a showcause notice. Because it happens to be the chairman?s personal decision, he will have to foot the bill of salaries paid so far,? the minister said.

His department had sought a report from the Birbhum district magistrate, who said that a resolution passed by a board of councillors had sanctioned the recruitment.

Bhattacharya said it was made in two phases last year. The staff were taken in as casual employees for markets, bus stands, water tax collection and other departments.

The resolution had mentioned that those recruited could be absorbed into permanent posts later.

Bhattacharya had earlier cracked down on Jiagunge, Azimgunge, Bongaon and Kharagpur municipalities for ?illegal recruitment?.

He said: ?Appointments in municipalities can be made only for sanctioned posts and that, too, through the employment exchange. It is not possible without the government?s approval.?