By Manoj Kar
Kendrapara (Orissa), May 13: Ever heard of theft of a pucca structure? In a typical complaint, a woman Sarpanch from backward Gangapada gram panchayat has alleged that concrete structured community latrines were stolen from a village.

For apparent reason, the unconventional complaint of this nature has created ripples in these parts of the state.

Mamatarani Dhal, in a note to Kendrapara Block Development Officer, charged that there has been theft of two latrines built during 2006-financial year as part of village sanitation programme.

“After I got elected as the head of the panchayat body last year, I had made it a point to take stock of movable governmental assets and property under the panchayat jurisdiction.

“I was shocked to be informed that there is no physical trace of the recently built latrines. Thus I take it for granted that either theft has occurred or Central grants spent for the purpose were gobbled up by the then Panchayatiraj institution members. That's why I thought it prudent to register an official complaint before launch of a thorough inquiry into the matter,” Dhal said.

“In the event block officials ignore my complaint, I would lodge a formal complaint with the nearest police station,” she maintained.

The latrines that now stay on the top of missing gram panchayat assets had purportedly come up during 2006-07 fiscal year at an allocated amount of Rs 40,000.

The funds spend were released from 12 th Finance Commission grants. It is widely believed that the grants were never spent for the building of latrines.

Instead the then PRI members made outright embezzlement of the same. The physical existence of the ‘contentious' latrines was confined to gram panchayat records only.