A total of eight assistant agriculture officers, two revenue inspectors and 16 village accountants from Gokak taluk have been suspended pending department inquiry for misappropriating funds released by the government for compensating the farmers who had suffered losses during hailstorms in the month of February and March 2014. Criminal cases would also be filed against the suspended personnel.
Deputy Commissioner N Jayaram told reporters on Thursday that government had released Rs 52 crore for the district to provide compensation for the farmers in Gokak, Raibag, Athani and Ramdurg taluks who had suffered losses due to the hailstorms.
In the funds released, Rs 1.63 crore had been misappropriated in Gokak taluk with the officials selecting wrongful beneficiaries. Show-cause notices had been issued to 39 personnel and they have been suspended as their replies were found not satisfactory. Departmental inquiry would be conducted against them and criminal cases would also be filed. Police investigating the cases would act against the wrongful beneficiaries, he said.
The suspended assistant agriculture officers are P B Halagi, L S Shirgihal, V G Metri, V B Biraj, Y B Hadpad, V T Sanadi, A H Nadaf and P A Koldur. The suspended revenue inspectors are P S Kulkarni and R I Nesargi. Village accountants who are suspended are M A Mulla, K B Shashtri, G M Nadaf, S N Ugalat, S K Tuppad, R S Nadugeri, S B Sorannavar, R B Avaradi, N S Kade, S V Patil, K B Pattar, S B Paschapur, M A Hanchinal, Sundar Pujeri, M H Madiwalar and R V Hiremath, Jayaram added.
