Irregularities in housing project; former female ward member Sheela gets three years rigorous imprisonment

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Court has sentenced K. Sheela, a member of the Vellamkudi ward of Kallara Grama Panchayat, to three years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 1 lakh for committing irregularities in the housing construction project implemented in Kallara Grama Panchayat.

The housing construction project was implemented by including it in the annual plan of the Kallara Grama Panchayat of Thiruvananthapuram. The beneficiaries for the Vellamkudi ward were also decided by the Grama Sabha and recorded in the minute book. K. Sheela, who was a Vellamkudi ward member of the Kallara Grama Panchayat, had tampered with the list of beneficiaries recorded in the minute book decided by the Grama Sabha, excluding some beneficiaries selected by the Grama Sabha and adding the names of some others.

The Kallara Grama Panchayat had later allocated money to allot houses under the scheme to those who had added their names in this way. The Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Unit had registered a case and submitted a final report on the irregularities in the project by adding more beneficiaries to the Gram Sabha minutes by Sheela, who was a ward member, without taking the approval of the Gram Sabha or the Panchayat Committee. The Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Court found K. Sheela, former ward member, guilty and sentenced her to a total of 3 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 1 lakh under various sections in that case.