Deputy Commissioner and in-charge Chief Executive Officer of Belagavi Zilla Panchayat N. Jayaram has ordered the withdrawal of transfers and deputations in the Belagavi education district during the tenure of the former Deputy Director of Public Instruction Diwakar Shetty.
A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the zilla panchayat here on Wednesday when member Parameshwar Hosamani posed a question to the chair on the unwillingness of the authorities to take action on a report with concrete documentary evidence showing large-scale irregularities committed by Mr. Shetty. Mr. Hosamani had submitted a list of 11 irregularities, including financial irregularities worth cores of rupees, to the zilla panchayat three months ago.
“Though everything was clear and irregularities were ascertained, I fail to understand what prevented the CEO from initiating action against the DDPI and cancel his illegal orders, and why he is protecting the guilty,” he said. He informed the house that charges had been framed against Mr. Shetty and sent to the government for action.
The former zilla panchayat president Eranna Kadadi alleged that various departments had not utilised the allocations for development works in rural areas in the financial year 2014-15 and a huge amount had lapsed. Mr. Jayaram said the chief accounts officer of the zilla panchayat had been appointed to inquire into the lapses and submit a report.
Mr. Jayaram also ordered an inquiry against the Assistant Executive Engineer, who other members alleged, was holding out bills in Ramdurg taluk at the behest of Congress MLA Ashok Pattan and had become “invisible” for about six months.
