In what is said to be the tips of an iceberg, the Central Bureau of Investigation has busted a multi-crore rupees scam in disbursement of subsidy to self-help groups and chargesheeted 20 persons, including two senior officers of Assam Civil Services and a nationalised bank for their involvement in Assam.
Informing that an amount of `2.27 crore meant for self help group was siphoned off, the CBI sources said that officials of the nationalised banks were found to have been involved in getting away with money released the implementation of rural development schemes.
Pointing out that scam took place in between August 2007 to August 2010, CBI in its chargesheet said, “The Baharihat branch of the Punjab National Bank claimed subsidy against loan proposals for self-help groups by the block offices of Chenga and Goma Fulbari.”
The district rural development authority had released the cheques against the self-help groups drawn on various banks of SBI, PNB and Assam Gramin Vikas Bank.
The Punjab National Bank, in due course, sent the cheques for collection and the proceeds were credited to various accounts of customers who were not related to the self-help groups. The amounts were later withdrawn in cash and the real beneficiaries were deprived of their dues. The CBI, in its investigation, found a fraud to the tune of `2.27 crore in one of such disbursements which was referred to it by the court for investigation. Those chargesheeted by the CBI in connection with the case include two ACS officers — Mohammed Nur Hussain, the then project director of the district rural development agency (Barpeta), Baldev Malakar, former project director of the DRDA, Barpeta, L.M. Kalita, an employee of the Punjab National Bank, Nagen Chandra Mali, employee of the PNB, Mohammed Siraj Ali, the then assistant project director of DRDA, Barpeta.