Uttarakhand / Haridwar: Action taken in the case of poor road construction; the village head did not provide documents even after notice, DM suspended him
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District Magistrate Mayur Dixit has suspended Basanti Devi, the village head of Akaudha Khurd, also known as Akaudha Mukarmatpur, in the Laksar development block of Haridwar. This action was taken following a complaint of substandard material being used in the construction of a concrete road in the village.
Despite two notices, the village head did not provide documents
It is noteworthy that villagers had raised questions about the quality of the concrete road constructed in the Kashyap Basti of the Gram Panchayat. After receiving the complaint, the District Magistrate directed the Assistant District Panchayat Raj Officer, Haridwar, to investigate. Records related to the road construction were sought from the village head for the investigation, but despite two notices, she did not provide the documents.
The village head violated the Uttarakhand Panchayati Raj Act
The District Magistrate stated that this behavior of the village head violates Section 133 of the Uttarakhand Panchayati Raj Act, 2016. Under the Act, if a Pradhan misuses his position, does not follow the rules of the Act or damages the property of the Panchayat, he can be suspended till the completion of the investigation.
Village Head Basanti Devi Suspended
District Magistrate Mayur Dixit has suspended Village Head Basanti Devi from her post with immediate effect. Her duties and responsibilities have been assigned to a committee of three elected members of the Gram Panchayat until the investigation is complete. The DM stated that the government’s intention is to ensure that development work in rural areas is carried out with complete transparency.
Poor quality material was used in road construction
It is noteworthy that this action comes after repeated complaints about the quality of the concrete road built in the village. Local residents alleged that substandard materials were used in the construction, causing the road to collapse within a few months. The district administration has now launched a detailed investigation into the entire matter. Further action will be decided based on the investigation report.
