Date: 2024-08-07Category: Not ApplicableState: Tamil NaduCountry: India
COLLECTORS AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES--Tiruvannamalai District, Tiruvannamalai Panchayat Union, Palayanur Village Panchayat, Notification of Dismissal of Panchayat Council President
The Tamil Nadu Government Gazette, dated August 7, 2024, includes a notification (No. VI(2)/22/2024) regarding the removal of the Panchayat President of Pazhayanur Village Panchayat, Tiruvannamalai Panchayat Union, Tiruvannamalai District. The notification, based on proceeding No. 1587/2020/A2-U.I(U), states that Smt. Ve. Durgadevi, the Panchayat President, was given an opportunity to respond to allegations of misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs. 1,65,13,599 as detailed in the report. A letter was served to nine ward members by the Tiruvannamalai Tehsildar on June 16, 2023.
A special meeting was held on June 30, 2023, under the chairmanship of the Tiruvannamalai Tehsildar, during which the report of charges against the Panchayat President was read out to all Panchayat members. Of the eight ward members present at the meeting, seven accepted the allegations against the Panchayat President, while four members rejected them, and one was unsure.
Smt. Ve. Durgadevi was permitted to inspect relevant documents at the Office of the Assistant Director (Panchayats), Tiruvannamalai Division, on October 13, 2023, following a court order (W.P.No.22950/2023) issued by the High Court of Madras on September 29, 2023. She was also given another chance to view the documents on February 2, 2024 but did not submit any explanation.
Despite being summoned for a personal inquiry by the District Collector of Tiruvannamalai, Smt. Ve. Durgadevi refused to receive the summons. As a result, based on the allegations in the legal notice dated December 30, 2022, related documents, and considering the views of the village panchayat, District Collector and Inspector of Panchayats, T. Baskarapandian, has declared Smt. Ve. Durgadevi removed from the post of Pazhayanur Panchayat President under Section 205(11) of the Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act, 1994. This notification takes effect from the date of its publication in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette.
Key Entities Referenced
Tamil Nadu Government Gazette: Official state government publication containing notifications.
Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act, 1994, Section 205: Law used to remove the President of the old Panayanur Panchayat
Thiruvannamalai: District where the relevant Panchayat is located.
Old Panayanur Panchayat: The specific village council (Panchayat) where the president's removal is being announced.