The issue figured at the gram sabha with the villagers questioning why the panchayat gave a cheque of Rs 62,000 to an electrical dealer when the goods were not received by the panchayat. However former Sarpanch Gurudas Bhomkar, during whose tenure the purchase was made, informed the gram sabha that the electrical goods were received by the panchayat and distributed among all the panchas. “All due procedure was followed and there is record of inventory of the same,” Bhomkar informed Herald when asked to shed more light on the issue. “The electrical goods were distributed equally among all the panchas,” he added while stating that he is ready for any inquiry into the matter. When contacted, Sawant said she will approach the Vigilance Department for a probe into the matter as per the demand of the villagers. “The panchayat never received any electrical goods,” she said and added that the question of her taking any electrical goods does not arise. “When I asked the electrical dealer concerned to send the goods to the panchayat, the dealer did not even bother to reply,” she added.
Scam in purchase of electrical goods?
With the Sao Mathias villagers sniffing a scam in the purchase of electrical goods by the panchayat in 2013, Sarpanch Vaibhavi Sawant said she will approach the Vigilance Department for a thorough probe into the matter.
