Is Former TN Panchayat President R. Ponnusamy Facing Criminal Action for Fund Misuse?

Chennai, June 10 (NationPress) The Coimbatore district administration is gearing up to commence criminal proceedings against former Ramapattinam panchayat president R. Ponnusamy for purportedly misappropriating government funds during his time in office.

This action comes on the heels of a directive from District Collector G. Giriyappanavar to the Assistant Director (AD) of Panchayats to lodge a police complaint.

According to officials, Ponnusamy is facing allegations of misusing finances allocated under two significant government programs — the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

Kamalakannan, the Assistant Director of Panchayats, indicated that the Pollachi North Block Development Officer (BDO), who recently resumed work after a 10-day leave, has been instructed to file a formal police complaint shortly.

“The delay in filing the complaint was due to the BDO’s absence,” he clarified, noting that the officer is now tasked with pursuing the issue and submitting a comprehensive report to the Collector.

Sources reveal that the District Collector demanded the AD to take action as Ponnusamy's term as panchayat president has concluded, restricting the possibilities for direct administrative measures.

A government investigation uncovered that Ponnusamy neglected to carry out check dam construction on properties owned by two local residents — Nagaraj and Nithyananthan — despite having received funds for these projects.

The Collector has mandated the recovery of Rs 6.53 lakh from Ponnusamy for this oversight. The investigation also revealed that he sanctioned the distribution of Rs 1.07 lakh as daily wages to workers and procured materials worth Rs 4.50 lakh using forged documents.

Payments were allegedly made to a vendor named Nataraj, who has since returned Rs 2.09 lakh to the government.

The Collector's directive highlighted that Ponnusamy did not acquire the necessary approvals for these initiatives through gram sabha meetings and failed to secure administrative clearance from district authorities.

Moreover, he did not maintain accurate records of workers' attendance and wage disbursements.

“The explanation provided by Ponnusamy following the discovery of misappropriation was deemed unsatisfactory,” noted the order.

Officials have stated that the criminal complaint is expected to be filed at the local police station within the week, marking the initiation of formal legal action against the former panchayat leader.