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Expressing concern over the use of local area development fund by NCP legislator Sunil Tingre, the Lokayukta has directed the Pune district administration and divisional commissioner not to make any payment to the contractors who have done the work of internal roads and drainage of society which are supposed to be in private property.
Activist Qaneez Sukhrani filed a complaint in March last year with the Lokayukta that Tingre diverted over Rs 2.33 crore of public funds for work in private societies in his Vadgaonsheri Assembly constituency, in violation of the state government resolution of 2016.
“Ahead of the next Assembly elections to attract voters of the housing society, the legislator had got the funds diverted for the development work in the society with the help of the district administration,” she alleged.
The Lokayukta said the legislator has admitted that the local area development fund was used for work in the housing society but argued it was not illegal as it was meant for the citizens of his constituency.
“The complainant has established that the funds made available to local MLA Sunil Tingre have been spent on the internal roads and drainage of the society. The government resolution of July 16, 2016, clearly lays down that the funds which are made available to the legislators should not be spent on the work of private properties, including cooperative societies. In my view, the collector and divisional commissioner had clearly helped in granting permission to Tingre to repair the internal roads and drainage of society which is barred by the government resolution of 2016,” said Lokayukta Justice V M Kanade.
The legislator submitted that the state government through its government resolution of June 6, 2022, has permitted them to spend the local area development funds given to him on the internal roads of the society, he said and added that it has been found that there is no retrospective effect given in the government resolution for authorising the work which already had been done prior to it.
The Lokayukta directed the state government to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) consisting of a town planning expert, collector and the principal secretary of the urban development department to re-examine the entire issue and other works which are suggested for public toilets and other facilities required for the benefits of residents.
Tingre said he received the Lokayukta order and would take necessary care while recommending the development work from the local area development fund.
Earlier, the Lokayukta sought factual report from the district collector and divisional commissioner on the complaint while holding a hearing in December last year.
The administration had informed the Lokayukta that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had issued `no objection’ certificate to take up the work and the housing society had handed over its land for development work to the civic body. The administration further informed the Lokayukta that it had not made the payment for the work as of now.
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However, the work even if carried out in the housing society was for the public and would benefit the members of the society and not any specific individual. Also, the work was related to developing basic amenities in the society and the planning department had recommended their implementation.
Tingre had submitted that the complaint was due to misunderstanding and he was not solely responsible for approving the development work and required funding for it.
“The legislator recommends the development work as per the demand of citizens. It is not mandatory to approve it. However, the administration gave their approval but did not allocate funds,” he had said, adding the work was not done for his personal benefit but for the residents of the Vadgaonsheri constituency.
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