28 cases confirmed in CM discretionary Fund anomalies

Dehradun, May 14 (UNI) Cases of anomalies in Chief Minister Discreationary Fund has come to the light in Almora district of Uttaranchal with 28 such cases registered by district administration.

SDM Almorah V S Chalal, in keepimg with the instructions of DM Rajiv Chandra, yesterday filed as many as 28 charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code including 420, 120 B and 471 against the accused for drawing fund by unfair means.

According to official sources, in December 2005 an unidentified person fraudulently managed to draw cheque of Rs 73,000 sanctioned in the name of one Pramod Bisht from the CM's Dicretionary Fund.

Viewing it seriously, the administration had constituted a three member committee headed by Additional District Magistrate Jugal Kishore Pant to investigate the matter.

The committee's four month long investigation confirmed 28 fraud cases, against whom FIRs were registered yesterday.

The preliminary investigation has revealed fraud of around rupees five lakhs. Seven employees of collectorate and a wife of a senior officer in Chief Minister's Office are suspected to be involved in the scam.

According to Kotwali thana incharge K S Dhyani, 14 police personnel have been pressed into the investigation job for all the cases. 64 such more cases are under investigation, which was likely to reveal further such deceits to the tune of Rupees eight lakhs, the sources said.

UNI XC VD DB1038