Srinagar- The Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered a case against three government employees of the education department in Baramulla district for swindling over Rs 1 crore funds meant for mid-day meal schemes during the year 2012-2015.
All the accused were booked by the Police Station ACB Baramulla under FIR No 02-2023 under section 5(1)(c), 5(1)(d) r/w section 5(2) of the J&K P.C Act Svt; 2006, Sections 201 & 120-B of RPC .
“Immediately after registration of the case, search warrants were also obtained and searches were conducted at their residence from where various incriminating documents were recovered. Further investigations are going on,” an official told Kashmir Observer on Thursday.
Sources from the anti-graft body told Kashmir Observer that ACB had earlier started a probe against the employees of the education zone Boniyar in 2016 after a complaint was filed.
The probe revealed that in the office of the ZEO Boniyar during the period 2012-13 to 2014-2015, the mid-day-meal scheme was being implemented in education zone Boniyar in all the government schools through about 27 Pay Center Officers (PCOs) and as per applicable guidelines, payment to different schools was to be made through the official Bank accounts of these PCO’s for further distribution among beneficiary schools through Incharge MDM.
“It was also found that during the above said period, an amount of Rs. 1,78,52,000/- was allocated under MDM scheme for education zone Boniyar by CEO Baramulla, out of which an amount of Rs. 1,75,91,000 has been shown withdrawn as expenditure,” sources said.
The probe, they said, also revealed that huge payments were shown made to various PCOs/schools in the cash book maintained at Zonal Education Office, Boniyar were actually not received by concerned PCOs/schools.
“The amount shown paid was prima-facie embezzled by the officials/officers of the education Zone Boniyar in connivance with one another. During the probe into the matter the District vigilance officer has also flagged grave concern and huge discrepancies in the record of the MDM of District Baramulla, the report of the DVO was also further verified by the vigilance organization,” sources said.
The investigation further revealed that an amount of Rs. 1,18,09,000/- was shown disbursed in the cash book by the employees of ZEO Boniyar from 01.04.2012 to 31.08.2013 to different PCO’s whereas only Rs. 45,96,943/- was found received by the PCOs during relevant period and rest of the amount was embezzled.
“Further for the period 01.09.2013 to 31.03.2015 an amount of Rs. 53,29,378/- was shown withdrawn on account of expenditure for MDM, whereas it transpired that amount of Rs. 23,45,911/- only was received by the PCOs and again rest of the amount was embezzled by these officials,” the ACB investigation reveals.
It further adds that the amount not received by the PCO’s has been misappropriated by then officers/officials of ZEO office Boniyar.
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