PMKSY scam: CB-CID grills co-op society head, 7 others in Cuddalore

It is said, after the detailed inquiry based on the Cuddalore district collector’s order on the misuse of PMKSY fund as it was credited in the accounts of many non-farmers who were added in the list of beneficiaries and the further investigation found that the scam had taken place in around 12 northern districts of Tamil Nadu.

The complaint originated from Cuddalore from where as many as 80,752 were added in the beneficiaries list from the month of April. However, the investigation by the district administration found that except for 3500, all others were fake entries. Shockingly, more than 40,000 persons from the other districts were included in the list. Subsequently, the inquiry which was conducted by a team of officials from the agriculture department and the revenue department from Cuddalore was handed over to the CB-CID police on September 1.

The CB-CID sleuths conducted initial investigation at Vijayamanagaram near Viruddhachalam in which the secured eight persons including a cooperative society president and a computer centre owner on Saturday afternoon. The inquiry continued for more than 6 hours and the sleuths could not get proper response when the news came last. Sources said that the arrest would be made only after continuous interrogation. It may be noted that the Principal Secretary of Agriculture Gagandeep Singh Bedi who came to know about the scam, convened a meeting with the respective district collectors and asked for a detailed inquiry into the issue.

Investigations into the malpractices in the PMKSY in Vellore district resulted in the suspension of 8 agricultural officials and 9 temporary staff, it was revealed. Agri officials suspended include 3 Assistant agriculture officers, 4 assistant horticultural officers and one deputy agricultural officer, sources revealed. CB-CID officials are checking the records of all scheme related transactions in integrated Vellore district.

Of the 19,191 in the district who benefitted, only 3435 were eligible it was said. Non eligible beneficiaries who received benefits include 1454 from other districts and 327 from other states, it was said. Sources said that total scheme transactions in Vellore district amounted to Rs.1.20 crore of which only Rs.25 lakh has been retrieved with officials burning the midnight oil to retrieve the rest of the amount.

In Tiruvannamalai district a SHG leader Sathya (50) of Thandarampattu was arrested for involvement in the scheme while CB-CID officials are still checking records. It is suspected that misappropriation could be as high as Rs.18 crore, sources revealed.