BDO penalized for financial irregularities in 14th Finance Commission, MGNREGA schemes

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The Government of Assam has imposed a penalty on Nabaratna Patowary, the then Block Development Officer (BDO), Mandia Development Block, Barpeta, after finding him guilty of procedural lapses and misutilization of government funds during implementation of schemes under the 14th Finance Commission and MGNREGA in 2017–18. The financial irregularities by Patowary amounted to more than Rs 16 lakh.

According to an official order issued by the Panchayat and Rural Development (P&RD) Department, disciplinary proceedings were initiated against Patowary following an inspection report that alleged misuse of funds in two schemes — “Construction of Community Hall at Mandia Bazar Dreamland Academy” and “Construction of Road cum Earthen Bundh from Mandia Dighirpam PMGSY Road to Mourigaon via 1882 No. Pachim Mourigaon LP School.”

The inquiry found that the community hall built on private land belonging to “Dreamland Academy” was constructed at a cost of Rs 5 lakh, while the second project overlapped with a road already sanctioned under the PWD’s PMGSY scheme. The inspection also reported fraudulent muster roll and irregular payments amounting to more than Rs 11 lakh, made in three phases between 2019 and 2020.

Patowary was suspended in January 2021 and served a show-cause notice on February 23, 2021. Subsequently, Patowary submitted his reply vide letter dated February 24, 2021, denying all charges levelled against him with a request to revoke his suspension and reinstate him in service. Pending the drawing of the Departmental Proceeding, Patowary was reinstated in service as Block Development Officer, Bilasipara Development Block, Dhubri, in May 2021. Later, an Inquiry Officer (IO) & Presenting Officer (PO) were appointed to further conduct the inquiry in connection with the Departmental Proceeding (DP) drawn against Nabaratna Patowary in July 2023.

After completing the inquiry, the IO confirmed lapses and violations of conduct rules in April 2024.

However, in his report, the IO noted that the Public Works Department clarified that its PMGSY work on the same road began only in 2021—after the development block’s work was completed—and did not specifically include the earthwork component carried out under MGNREGA, as necessitated in the inquiry.

Taking these facts into account, the disciplinary authority decided to dispose of the DP drawn against Patowary by imposing a penalty of withholding one increment without cumulative effect.

 The Assam Public Service Commission concurred with the decision in July 2025. The order further stated that the period of suspension will be treated as on duty for all purposes.

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