Report on rainwater harvest scam sought

A division bench comprising Justices TS Sivagnanam and M Seshasayee, said, “We find that on an average, Rs 80,000 is being sanctioned for each beneficiary and the funds allocated for a particular village in Perambalur district appears to be substantial. Since the Assistant project officer of the panchayat has recorded statements from various persons, the said authority is directed to file a report to the district collector within a week. On receipt of the same, the district collector shall peruse the same, make necessary inquiry and submit a report to the court”. 

Further, the bench on ordering notice to the Centre, State and to the Block Development officer (panchayat), Junior Engineer and the Overseer, Veppanthattai Panchayat Union, posted the case for further hearing to April 27. 

The PIL petitioners P Annadurai, R Chinnasamy and M Ramasamy of Noothapur village had contended that as per the Centrally-sponsored scheme small farmers who own lands below 2.5 acres and marginal farmers who own lands below 5 acres are selected as beneficiaries to dig ponds in their own lands to harvest rain water. The work of digging the ponds would be allocated to the villagers at the rate of Rs.100 per day. 

But the Junior Engineers and the Overseers of Panchayat Union who were deputed to oversee the work have colluded with some politically influential people and have resorted to misappropriating the amount in the name of beneficiaries who had died long ago. Moreover, in certain cases the sanctioned amounts were being drawn illegally as if ponds were dug up and in certain others the Overseers and Junior Engineers have resorted to fabricating revenue documents to misappropriate the funds allocated under the said scheme. 

The petitioners also noted that their representation to various authorities since April 2017 have failed to evoke any response.