Southern States - Karnataka   

NGO project chief denies funds misappropriation charge

By Our Staff Correspondent

By Our Staff

Correspondent

BELLARY May 14. P.H.Naidu, Project Director of Leading Organisation for Rural Development (LORDS), a non-government organisation in Bellary, has denied the charge of misappropriation of funds by him in connection with the implementation of Watershed programmes of the Karnataka Watershed Development Society (KAWADS).

Speaking to presspersons here on Tuesday, Mr. Naidu said that the allegations made against his organisation were false and baseless. According to him, the organisation's accounts for 1999-2000 were audited and there was no fault in them.

But after a special audit was conducted in 2002, a report was given that Rs.3.9 lakhs were misappropriated.

Based on the report, the nodal officer of Watershed Development in the Zilla Panchayat filed a police complaint against Mr. Naidu and his accountant.

Mr. Naidu said that all this started when V.Chakrapani, project coordinator of LORDS, was terminated from service on a charge of producing fabricated MSW marks card and alleged misappropriation of funds.

After that the KAWADS authorities insisted that Chakrapani be taken back in the project. When LORDS did not yield, as a vindictive action, KAWADS ordered a special audit of the accounts.

The special audit was conducted on the basis of records produced by the terminated coordinator, Chakrapani, which according to Mr. Naidu was illegal and unwarranted.

He pointed out that the KAWADS management continued the service of Chakrapani by paying his salary directly.

LORDS had filed a complaint with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India against the auditors, he said.

Mr. Naidu said that as per the memorandum of understanding any dispute between KAWADS and LORDS had to be settled throughBullion rates arbitration.

However, the nodal officer, in collusion with the terminated coordinator, had lodged a police complaint for alleged misappropriation, he said.

He said that it was unfortunate that some KAWADS officials were targeting LORDS and its officials while the government machinery, senior officials of KAWADS and the International Development Organisation of the U.K. had praised LORDS for the effective implementation of Upparahalla watershed project.

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