- Previous government did not allow PRS inspections for the fear of exposure of corruption.
- Functioning of Nagpur ZP better than Pune ZP
Nagpur: The 3-day tour of Nagpur district by Panchayat Raj Samiti (PRS) concluded on Thursday. Having toured the rural areas of the district and inspected the developmental works under Nagpur ZP, Chairman, Panchayat Raj Samiti (state level) Shambhajirao Nilangekar Patil gave details of works, inspected during the tour, to the media personnel here in the city.
According to him, this is the first time in the State that the government is seriously executing the works of Panchayat Raj, and prior to this all that was done was paper-reporting. He felt surprise while informing the media that no earlier Panchayat Raj Samiti ever conducted tours of many places during past 12 years.
Explaining the nature of PRS working, Nilangekar Patil said, it is the duty of PRS to physically inspect the Panchayat Raj level works under various Zilla Parishads and expose the irregularities. The PRS enjoys the powers to take action against erring ones, he added.
According to him 13 Panchayat Samitis divided in 4 groups were inspected under Nagpur ZP. He said that he had noticed irregularities at certain places, but he would not disclose them because the PRS working is a confidential affair. He informed that the report of his tour would be prepared within 45 days and tabled before Legislature of the State.
He told the media that he had collected the details about certain irregularities committed in developmental works under Nagpur ZP and also about the expectations of public representatives, and in many cases he had recommended actions against the defaulters.
Targeting the functioning of previous government, he outspokenly said, “Previous government did not allow PRS inspections for the fear of exposure of corruption. Stressing the need of PRS inspection, Nilangekar said that PRS inspection must be conducted at least once in every 3 years. Briefing about PRS functioning, he said, it inspects the works under ZP according to audit parameters. If the words of PRS Chairman are to be relied on, the functioning of Nagpur ZP is better than Pune ZP.
The PRS has toured Hingoli, Sindhu Durg, Pune, Nanded and Nagpur ZPs so far. Those places are inspected on priority basis where the PRS had never paid its visit, he concluded.
