Corporation Commissioner R. Nanthagopal, on Saturday, ordered suspension of nine officials and staffers in connection with a Rs. 1.07-crore swindle of local body funds during 2010-11.
Assistant Commissioner (zone 2) A. Devadass was transferred pending disciplinary proceedings. Disciplinary proceedings would be initiated against an Accounts Officer.
In a statement, Mr. Nanthagopal said that during a review of works undertaken by the Corporation, the officials detected irregularities to the tune of Rs. 1.07 crore.
Sources said that the money was paid to contractors without carrying out work pertaining to earth removing on road margins, plugging pipeline leakage, and painting. Eight contractors, who were involved in the works, were asked to repay the money following which they paid Rs. 97.95 lakh in cheque. The Corporation had already got Rs. 9.97 lakh from the contractors as deposits. “The loss of money incurred by the Corporation was rectified with these efforts,” the Commissioner said.
Efforts were under way to remove the names of the contractors from the list of registered contractors.
Following the order, Assistant Executive Engineers Muneer Ahmed and Kuzhanthaivel, and Balaiah (AEE, in charge) were placed under suspension. Others who were suspended from services are: Assistant Engineers and Junior Engineers Rajasekar, Santhanam, Arumugam, Saravanan, and Cheque Clerks Murugeswari and Parthasarathy.
