The Madras High Court disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed seeking direction to the state respondents to take appropriate legal action against the financial irregularities committed by the Block Development Officer (Village Panchayat), Thiruvannamalai Union and private respondents in the name of implementing ‘Pradan mandri Awas Yojana-Gramin'(PMAY-G) Scheme and ‘Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005” (MGNREGA) with falsification of records for diversion of funds.
The Director, Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption has filed a status report. As per the said status report, the DVAC communicated to the Collector about the complaint and to take necessary action.
The Collector designated an enquiry officer Assistant Director, Rural Development (Audit), Thiruvannamalai, who conducted the enquiry and found sufficient evidence.
The Collector sent a letter to the Director, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, marking a copy to the DVAC. Based on the said letter, the DVAC has sought prior approval under Section 17(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, to the Collector, Thiruvannamalai in its letter dated 24.01.2024 to conduct a preliminary enquiry into the allegations and that is pending.
As the respondents had already taken steps, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay V Gangapurwala and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy hoped and trusted that the same would be taken to its logical end.