2 panchayat chiefs sacked on graft charges in Salem

COIMBATORE: Two women village panchayat presidents were dismissed from service by Salem District Collector S Karmegam on Wednesday following corruption charges against them.

J Amutha, president of Deviyakurichi panchayat had passed ‘wrong’ resolutions allowing contractors to execute three projects without issuing work orders. She also allowed her husband A Jayakumar to interfere in the panchayat works.

Jayakumar along with another panchayat functionary A Chinnasamy were recently arrested by the DVAC when they demanded a bribe of Rs 55,000 from a contractor to sanction a bill. They both were lodged in Salem Central Prison.

Similarly, S Kalaiselvi, 45, president of Paithur panchayat, which falls under Attur Panchayat Union, was accused of irregularities in sanctioning of Rs 3 lakh towards works undertaken under the MGNREGA. She also failed to give MGNREGA identity cards to workers and didn’t turn up for an inquiry.

Finding the allegations to be true, the Collector issued an order removing them from their posts under Section 205 (11) of the Tamil Nadu Panchayat Act.