The Trinamool Congress-run Chowki Mirdadpur panchayet in Manikchak block was caught in a controversy after several bills and vouchers, along with some photographs, went viral on social media, claiming that the elected members of the ruling party had spent more than ₹3 lakh from the government funds for their “excursion” and “political tour” in July.
The Telegraph did not examine the authenticity of the bills, vouchers and the photographs.
No complaint has been lodged with the block administrations so far.
The bill and the voucher show that 30 persons joined the “excursion”, for which ₹90,000 was spent on transportation.
A sum of ₹96,000 for food and refreshments and ₹105600 on hotel accommodation for four days (July 21 to July 25) was spent from the panchayet funds. Miscellaneous expenses of ₹12,000 were added to the total bill of ₹3.03 lakh as shown on the bill.
Mohammad Anwar Ali, the head of Chowki Mirdadpur panchayet, said: “There is nothing wrong in this excursion. We went to Calcutta on July 21 to attend the party’s Martyrs’ Day programme. Then, we went to Ramnagar 1 block in the East Midnapore district, on an excursion. It was beneficial for us as we exchanged opinions about the ways of rendering services to people. Along with a section of elected panchayet members, some employees of the panchayet joined the excursion, too. There is nothing wrong with it.”
Ali said prior permission had been obtained from the block development officer for the excursion. “No public money was misappropriated,” he said.
Anup Chakraborty, the BDO of Manikchak, however, denied that he had authorised such an “excursion”. “I did not offer any permission for the excursion. The panchayet chief has been asked to explain,” he said.
Debajyoti Sinha, a district secretariat member of the CPM, Malda, said: “It was not an excursion at all. It was actually a political and fun tour for the elected Trinamool members. They attended a political programme in Calcutta and then went to Digha. On their way back, they paid a brief visit only to a panchayet office in East Midnapore district.”
Gour Chandra Mandal, a district general secretary of the Malda South (organisation) district of the BJP, said: “The way the Trinamool-run board spent a hefty amount for political purposes and a leisure tour is completely unethical. Funds have been embezzled indirectly by the panchayet.”