Zilla Parishad moves Bombay high court for release of Gadchiroli development funds – Times of India

NAGPUR: A zilla parishad president from Gadchiroli knocked the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court’s doors demanding release of the development funds for the backward and tribal-dominated district.
As the respondents, including the Maharashtra government, has stalled the funds, crucial developmental works had come to a standstill, he said.
Petitioner Ajay Kankadalwar from Aheri prayed for directives to the respondents to release funds in view of expenditure approved under the district annual plan for financial year 2021–22 prepared for various departments. These included construction, health, women and child development, education, irrigation and animal husbandry.
A division bench comprising justices Sunil Shukre and Anil Pansare on Tuesday issued notices to the state planning and rural development departments secretaries, divisional commissioner in the city and Gadchiroli collector, asking them to respond within three weeks. Government pleader Ketki Joshi received notices for all of them.
Contending that the expenditure to be incurred for execution of various works under the district annual plan has also been approved, the petitioner’s counsels – Shreerang Bhandarkar and Sejal Lakhani Renu – said due to some political reasons, funds are not being released. They argued that the citizens of Gadchiroli have equal right for development of their place at par with other districts.
Referring to a ZP meeting held under Kankadalwar on February 17 last year, the counsels argued that many developmental schemes for education, health, water, roads and agriculture were approved by ZP members unanimously for areas coming under 12 panchayat samitis comprising 457 gram panchayats. However, the work could not start as the collector, despite receiving the funds, failed to release it.
Citing minutes of the meeting and resolutions passed by ZP, the petitioner said those formed the basis for approval of expenditure under the district annual plan. After administrative approval granted by ZP authorities, the tenders were floated and finalized and only work orders were left to be issued.
However, after funds were not released, Kankadalwar lodged a complaint to the divisional commissioner after, but no progress was made till date. He also made several representations to the rural development and planning departments but met with the same fate.
The petitioner reveals that due to some political agenda it appears that the political party must have interfered with the process, leading to a standstill in the development works. “The concerned officials in collusion with the collector are intentionally depriving the rightful entitlement of the funds only to fulfil some political agenda and grievances, thereby depriving the genuine beneficiaries who are the citizens. The respondents are making a mockery of their power and position by acting in connivance and depriving the rightful entitlement of the citizens of Gadchiroli,” he said.