THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Garhwa, Jan 18: A major case of fraud has surfaced in Kupa Panchayat, Kharondhi block, where Common Service Centre (CSC) operators—Navneet Kumar Patel, Satyanarayan Gupta, and Ajit Prajapati—intentionally misused the Maiyaan Samman Yojana portal. Instead of entering the correct bank account numbers and IFSC codes of beneficiaries, they entered the details of their own or their close relatives’ accounts to misappropriate funds.
Following the revelation, the Circle Officer of Kharondhi conducted an investigation. The inquiry confirmed the allegations. It was found that the CSC operators had manipulated beneficiary information to divert funds to personal or familial accounts. Specifically:
- Funds for 7 beneficiaries were transferred to the account of Reshmi Devi, wife of CSC operator Navneet Patel.
- Funds for 5 beneficiaries were deposited into the account of CSC operator Satyanarayan Gupta.
- Funds for 9 beneficiaries were redirected to the account of Lalati Devi, mother of CSC operator Ajit Prajapati.
In response, the district administration took swift action. The three CSC operators immediately returned the diverted funds to the rightful beneficiaries’ accounts. Additionally, their CSC IDs were cancelled with immediate effect.
The individuals involved were identified as:
- Navneet Kumar Patel
- Satyanarayan Gupta
- Ajit Prajapati
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FIR Filed Against PACS Chairman Ravindra Singh
A separate malpractice case was uncovered at Rampur PACS in Majhiyan block during the paddy procurement process. A joint investigation by the District Supply Officer and District Cooperative Officer revealed a discrepancy in the paddy stock. According to the procurement portal, 5375 quintals of paddy were recorded for the 2024-25 marketing season, but during a warehouse inspection, only 2693 quintals were found. Approximately 2300 quintals of paddy were missing.
When asked for an explanation, the Chairman of Rampur PACS, Ravindra Singh, provided an unsatisfactory response, which was rejected. Consequently, the District Cooperative Officer lodged an FIR at Majhiaon Police Station against Ravindra Singh under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Deputy Commissioner Shekhar Jamuar reiterated the need for strict compliance with government instructions regarding the implementation of schemes and warned that any irregularities would be dealt with severely.
Strict Action Taken Against Irregularities in Abua Awas Scheme
An investigation into allegations of fraud in the Abua Awas Scheme in Kharondhi Gram Panchayat revealed serious irregularities. The inquiry found that 9 ineligible beneficiaries were wrongly sanctioned housing under the scheme, with the first installment of funds already transferred to the accounts of 7 beneficiaries. The remaining 2 beneficiaries had not yet received payments.
Following the investigation, the funds were withdrawn from the accounts of all 7 ineligible beneficiaries. It was also discovered that negligence occurred during the selection, registration, and geotagging of beneficiaries by the Gram Sabha.
In response, Deputy Commissioner Shekhar Jamuar took the following actions:
- Shashi Kumar, Panchayat Secretary of Kharondhi Gram Panchayat, was suspended with immediate effect.
- A recommendation was made to the State Election Commission to suspend Manju Devi, the Mukhiya of Kharondhi Panchayat.
- Raviranjan, Block Coordinator, and Ravindra Kumar, Block Development Officer of Kharondhi, were issued show-cause notices for negligence in supervision. Both were warned that future lapses would result in departmental action.
The Deputy Commissioner emphasized that housing benefits under the Abua Awas Scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana should be strictly allocated to eligible beneficiaries. He warned that any further cases of ineligible beneficiaries exploiting these schemes would be met with severe penalties for the culprits.
