Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 24 April 2021
Gram Panchayat Campbell Bay constructed a Vegetable Market near Recreation Hall of Kamal Basti, Campbell Bay. The 8 shop vegetable market is the latest addition to the fixed asset created by GP Campbell Bay and was inaugurated on 14th December 2017.
None of the eight shops in the vegetable market has been allotted to any vegetable vendor, trader or producer. The area where the vegetable market has been constructed is a prime piece of real estate and is constructed attached to the Jetty Bazaar Panchayat Market.
The Grant-In-Aid to Panchayat Rules specifically mentions that, the Grant-In-Aid to the Panchayats will be specifically used for the purpose for which it has been granted.
Further the ‘Guidelines for Allotment of Fixed Assets Constructed by PRIs’ mandates that an agreement has to be executed in a specific format as attached with the guidelines.
The agreement as attached with the guidelines specifically has a clause which mandates that the licensee shall use the shop only for the purpose for which it has been allotted.
The shops constructed in the name of a Vegetable Market by GP Campbell Bay are not being utilised for selling or for trade of vegetables.
Currently only two original licensees are running their businesses from the shops of the Vegetable Market, Campbell Bay and none of the shops have anything to do with vegetables. The rest of the shops in the Vegetable Market always remains shut and are being used as godowns by the licensees or are not being utilised at all.
Panchayat creates fixed assets like shops for the benefit of its residents and if the shops are not being utilised in a constructive way by the licensees after the allotment, it should be the responsibility of the respective Panchayat to re-allot the shop to someone more deserving by following proper process as prescribed.
It is being alleged by the residents of Campbell Bay, that it was never the intention of the Ex-Pradhan of GP Campbell Bay to allot the shops to vegetable vendors, traders or producers. The residents further allege that the Ex-Pradhan wanted to construct a shopping complex and he used the name of Vegetable Market to obtain the funds from the competent authority for construction of the building.
It is also being alleged that, gross violation of the rules and regulations laid down by the Panchayat has been done while allotting the Panchayat Market, as none of the shops have been allotted to anyone dealing in vegetables.
There are several vegetable vendors across Campbell Bay who are operating from encroached pieces of land. In fact a few meters from the Vegetable Market there is stretch of encroached shops and among them are few vegetable vendors.
It is very important that the funds received for a specific purpose should be utilised for the same purpose by the Panchayati Raj Institutions. What is the point of constructing a vegetable market spending a ton of Public Money if the vegetable vendors still have to operate out of shops constructed on encroached land.
Nicobar Times does not specifically know the purpose for which the shops have been allotted to the licensees in the vegetable market as per the agreement executed, but in any case the allotment of the shops are wrong. If the trade mentioned in the agreement is something related to vegetables, the Ex-Pradhan who had overseen the allotment should have ensured that the licensees are only allowed to sell or trade in vegetables from the premises. If the trade has been mentioned as something else in the agreement, then it is a gross violation of the rules of Panchayat as the funds must have been obtained in the name of vegetable market and the allotment has been done for some other trade.
The Special Officer appointed by the A & N Administration for overseeing the affairs of the Panchayat should look into the issue and correct the wrongdoing of the Ex-Pradhan. Further appropriate action should be initiated against those guilty for making the wrong allotment or against those who are using the shop for a different purpose than for which it has been allotted.
It is a sheer waste of public funds, if assets created are being used as godowns.