Five officials in a village in Jiangsu Province, including the Party secretary, misappropriated 200,000 yuan ($29,830) by not recording it in the accounts.

Figures from the Ministry of Civil Affairs showed that there were 599,000 village committees and 2.34 million village committee members in the country last year.

"How these village officials behave affect the lives of villagers and the development of villages directly," Tong said.

In 2008, the government of Panlong township in Guizhou Province demanded that villag-ers in Datian village move so that the government could sell the land to people interested in exploring for a coal supply, according to www.zgxzjd.com.

The villagers appealed to higher authorities in Beijing because the local government only offered 360 yuan ($53) per square meter instead of the 500 yuan ($74) they wanted. Villagers said the local government sold coal mines repeatedly but the proceeds remain hidden.

Tong said strengthening financial supervision in villages is an urgent task.

"Subsidies and relief funds should be given to villagers directly," Tong said, adding that the audit department should step in to ensure effective use of money given to villages.