CG: Panchayat Secretary Suspended for Negligence in Housing Construction

In a meeting held on September 6th in the meeting hall of the Surajpur District Panchayat, a detailed review was conducted regarding the progress and completion of departmental schemes. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin, a flagship government program, the Gram Panchayat Semrakhurd of Janpad Panchayat Pratapur was assigned a target of 131 houses for the financial year 2024-26. However, the Panchayat Secretary has not yet submitted the required consent for the approval of houses for 22 beneficiaries under Awas Plus, and the progress on the 73 approved houses is also unsatisfactory. This indicates that Sukhdev Prasad, the Panchayat Secretary, has not been conducting timely inspections of the approved houses and other construction works in the Gram Panchayats, nor is he showing any interest in completing the housing construction work. As a result, the expected progress in the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin is not being achieved. The actions of the Panchayat Secretary constitute gross negligence, indifference, and indiscipline towards his official duties/responsibilities. The actions of the Panchayat Secretary are in violation of Rule 3 (1)(2)(3) of the Chhattisgarh Panchayat Service (Conduct) Rules, 1998 and Rules 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Chhattisgarh Panchayat (Powers and Actions of Secretary) Rules, 1999, and fall under the category of misconduct.