Former Yellur Gram Panchayat president Satish Patil has raised serious allegations of financial misconduct, claiming that a corruption amounting to ₹40 to ₹50 lakh is underway in the Panchayat. At a press conference on Thursday at Hotel Adarsh Palace, Patil alleged that bills were being issued to a third-party contractor without required documentation, including action plans, estimates, and check measurements for the claimed development works.
Patil detailed that 30 development works were supposedly completed in Yellur Gram Panchayat, as per a resolution passed by the Panchayat, with funds allocated. However, a letter sent to the Zilla Panchayat raised suspicions when it noted that no documentary evidence existed to substantiate these works. The Zilla Panchayat’s subsequent report confirmed the lack of proper documentation.
He further explained that the projects in question were originally approved under the tenure of former president Bharat Masekar. Despite opposition from nine Panchayat members, the resolution was passed. Allegations of fund misuse resurfaced in 2018-19 when the contractor filed a complaint with the Zilla Panchayat demanding payment. The Panchayat then claimed these works were funded by the 15th Finance Commission during the Covid period in 2020-21—a timeline discrepancy, as the initial complaint dates back to 2018-19.
Despite repeated complaints to the Taluka and Zilla Panchayats, Patil said, no action has been taken. Consequently, a formal complaint has now been filed with the Panchayat Raj department and Lokayukta. Patil claims that recently, the final bill for the development works was prepared under Bharat Ningappa Masekar’s name but then reissued to a third-party contractor, Maruti Patil, in an alleged attempt to misappropriate funds.
Patil, supported by several Panchayat members, emphasized the importance of transparency and integrity in local governance and called on the media to help bring attention to this matter. He affirmed that any misuse of Gram Panchayat funds intended for Yellur’s development would not be tolerated.
Other Panchayat members, including Pramod Patil, Shivaji Nandurkar, Ramesh Mense, Parasharam Patil, Jyotiba Chougule, Manisha Ghadi, Sonali Yellurkar, and Shalini Patil, attended the press conference in support of Patil’s statements.