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Much of the money for over 1,000 toilets to be constructed in the villages of a district vanished into the thin air even as the toilets remained unfinished or built by violating all specifications
A former gram pradhan and wife of a Samajwadi Party (SP) leader was booked along with an alleged accomplice for allegedly embezzling funds meant for the construction of toilets in a village, an Uttar Pradesh government official said on Saturday. Besides, the State administration has recommended departmental action against two government employees, District Magistrate Sujit Kumar said.
An FIR has been lodged against Shiv Kumari Devi -- wife of SP district unit head Ram Iqbal Yadav -- along with secretary gram panchayat Ram Pratap Singh, Kumar said.
In 2013-2014, Pakaha village under Patherdeva block was declared a Lohia village for which over Rs 49 lakh were sanctioned for the purpose of constructing 1,082 toilets at the rate of Rs 4600 per toilet, he said.
However, villagers and certain officials in the local administration complained that the toilets were not constructed as per the norms and many of them were left half-finished, Kumar added.
The State government instituted a probe on May 13. Additional director panchayti raj Rajendra Singh investigated the matter and found serious irregularities, he said.
On the basis of the recommendations made by the official, an FIR was lodged against Kumari and Ram Pratap Singh, he added.
Departmental action against assistant development officer (panchayat) Dashrath Singh and district project coordinator Brijesh Pandey has also been initiated on the recommendations made by Rajendra Singh, the DM said.
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