DVAC probes agri project fund swindling
Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com
Chennai:15.10.2019
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has started an investigation into the swindling of money meant for a Union ministry’s project to improve irrigation facilities in Salem district.
The scam has been detected in the national watershed development project for rainfed areas (NWDPRA). Incidentally, last year, a Parliamentary panel had rapped the government for poor implementation of the scheme across the country. Started in 2008, not a single project among the 8,214 has been declared to have reached closure.
The FIR was registered by DVAC a fortnight ago, booking six officials of the agriculture department— four of them retired and one under suspension. DVAC’s inquiries revealed that in Salem district, NWDPRA was implemented from 2007-08 to 2013-14 in two unions. Nine watersheds were selected by the project implementation officers. Detailed project reports and action reports were prepared.
In these projects, ₹1.14 crore in 2007-08, ₹90 lakh in 08-09, ₹25 lakh for 10-11, ₹1.3 crore for 11-12 and ₹48 lakh for 12-13 were sanctioned. In total, ₹4.08 crore was allotted and released to the Salem office of this project. DVAC has found that officials colluded and prepared cheques in their own names and withdrew money meant for implementation of the scheme.
Documents show that the money was withdrawn under the heads of of administrative expenses, training, development work and salaries for temporary staff. It was supposed to have been given to the local officials in charge of implementation of the scheme. There was no proof of them receiving it or the project progressing.
The FIR filed by DVAC said N Subramania Siva, joint director and P Subramaniyan, deputy director of agriculture (state schemes) swindled ₹26.4 lakh between July and December 2009. From December 2009 to October 2010, another official, S Karunanidhi, who was joint director, colluded with N Subramania Siva to swindle ₹60 lakh in a similar manner.
Another official, G Udhayakumar, during his tenure from 2010-12 as deputy director of agriculture, colluded with Subramania Siva to swindle ₹1.3 crore.
Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com
Chennai:15.10.2019
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has started an investigation into the swindling of money meant for a Union ministry’s project to improve irrigation facilities in Salem district.
The scam has been detected in the national watershed development project for rainfed areas (NWDPRA). Incidentally, last year, a Parliamentary panel had rapped the government for poor implementation of the scheme across the country. Started in 2008, not a single project among the 8,214 has been declared to have reached closure.
The FIR was registered by DVAC a fortnight ago, booking six officials of the agriculture department— four of them retired and one under suspension. DVAC’s inquiries revealed that in Salem district, NWDPRA was implemented from 2007-08 to 2013-14 in two unions. Nine watersheds were selected by the project implementation officers. Detailed project reports and action reports were prepared.
In these projects, ₹1.14 crore in 2007-08, ₹90 lakh in 08-09, ₹25 lakh for 10-11, ₹1.3 crore for 11-12 and ₹48 lakh for 12-13 were sanctioned. In total, ₹4.08 crore was allotted and released to the Salem office of this project. DVAC has found that officials colluded and prepared cheques in their own names and withdrew money meant for implementation of the scheme.
Documents show that the money was withdrawn under the heads of of administrative expenses, training, development work and salaries for temporary staff. It was supposed to have been given to the local officials in charge of implementation of the scheme. There was no proof of them receiving it or the project progressing.
The FIR filed by DVAC said N Subramania Siva, joint director and P Subramaniyan, deputy director of agriculture (state schemes) swindled ₹26.4 lakh between July and December 2009. From December 2009 to October 2010, another official, S Karunanidhi, who was joint director, colluded with N Subramania Siva to swindle ₹60 lakh in a similar manner.
Another official, G Udhayakumar, during his tenure from 2010-12 as deputy director of agriculture, colluded with Subramania Siva to swindle ₹1.3 crore.
No comments:
Post a Comment