Ghugghus council chairman seeks probe into Rs 57.7 lakh election spending, writes to Collector

A fresh controversy has erupted over election expenditure in the Ghugghus Municipal Council in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district. Roshan Parshuram Pachare, chairman of the council's public works, education and sports committee, sent a letter to the Chandrapur District Collector on October 14, 2026. The letter seeks an investigation into alleged irregularities and corruption in election expenditure and action against the officials concerned.

Resolution No. 11, placed before the council's general body, records the expenditure on the 2025 municipal council election. According to this record, the total expenditure on the election is stated to be Rs 57,70,034. Since the papers surfaced, questions have been raised about the transparency of the spending, the validity of the bills submitted, the genuineness of the payments and the actual expenditure incurred.

The details recorded in the resolution are as follows. Rs 1,89,256 is recorded for election forms and other material, Rs 7,50,400 for photography and videography of the election, Rs 18,38,560 for pandal and decoration material, and Rs 4,80,200 for hire of CCTV cameras and related expenses. Rs 6,11,026 is stated for hire of four-wheelers, Rs 5,90,613 for tea and snacks, and Rs 3,25,036 for printing of ballot papers.

In addition, Rs 72,864 is recorded for the purchase of almirahs, chairs and tables, Rs 98,771 for computer items, Rs 7,61,450 for photocopying and Rs 51,858 for the supply of banners. All of this is based on the figures in the available papers. Whether the expenditure was actually incurred, how valid the bills are and whether the payments were made according to rules can be confirmed only after the original records are examined.

In the letter to the Collector, Chairman Pachare has raised the issue of alleged irregularities in election expenditure. The letter mentions alleged corruption of about Rs 85 lakh and seeks an investigation and necessary action. It also demands an inquiry into the tender process and other related work carried out in the council during 2025-2026. The letter further states that the chief officer is not present in the office, and questions have therefore also been raised about administrative functioning.

However, the allegations made in the letter are not yet findings established in an inquiry. A fair examination of the papers, the tender process, bill entries, payment details and administrative records is necessary for the facts to emerge.

Resolution No. 11 mentions that the election expenditure details were presented. According to the available information, after discussion on the subject, a decision was recorded to hold a departmental inquiry into the election expenditure, form a five-member committee and present a reply on the basis of the inquiry report. Attention now is on whether the committee was actually formed, when the inquiry will begin and how the expenditure records will be examined.

People in Ghugghus are watching what action the Collector's office takes on the complaint, whether the five-member committee is formed, and whether bills for expenses such as pandal, decoration, photography, vehicle hire and photocopying are scrutinised in depth. It would not be appropriate to hold any person or contractor guilty before the inquiry is complete.