A petition has been filed in Madras High Court Bench here alleging officials of a panchayat were attempting to defraud the government by calling for tenders to relay roads and pipelines when the existing structures were in "good condition".
When the petition by a councillor of the Watrap town panchayat in Virudhunagar District came up for hearing, Justice R Mahadevan directed the officials not to proceed further on the tender notification in view of the charges.
He ordered issue of notice to the state Chief Secretary, the panchayat Executive Officer and the District Collector, seeking their replies.
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Petitioner Easwari Sundaramurthy submitted that the condition of roads was very good in five stretches in the town. Similarly, pipelines in the first ward were laid only recently.
But the panchayat officials, to the surprise of the people and councillors, have called for tender to relay the recently laid roads.
It was a blatant case of irregularity and the objective was to defraud the government by showing on account that the roads had been laid and pocketing the money, the petitioner alleged and sought to quash the tender notification.
Despite this being brought to the notice of higher officials, no action had been taken, the petitioner said.
