Seven PDOs suspended for lapses in housing schemes

As many as seven panchayat development officers (PDO) in Bhalki taluk were suspended by zilla panchayat CEO Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar following irregularities in the selection of beneficiaries for various housing schemes in 2015-16 and 2018-19.

The suspended PDOs are: Baaluru Gram Panchayat PDO Sangamesh Saavale (now Meti Melkund GP); Biri B-Mallesh Maruti (now Chimmegaon GP); Jyanthi-Revanappa (now Gore Chincholi GP); Morambi-Rekha (now Dhummanasur GP); Talavad(K)-Chandrashekar Gangashetti (now Malachapur GP); Varawatti-Santhosh Swamy (now Rekulagi GP) and Yenakuru-Praveenkumar.

Gangwar told reporters, “During the inquiry, the PDOs in question were found to have committed irregularities in selection of beneficiaries for housing schemes. It was found that allotment of about 9,000 houses was improper. Houses have been allotted to the influential and their relatives.”

The ZP CEO further said there were complaints about a few PDOs claiming two bills for a single house.

The managing director of Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Ltd had submitted a report about the irregularities by the PDOs in the housing schemes. The director had on April 27, 2019, written to the competent authority to initiate action against the errant PDOs.