JK Vigilance books two officials for swindling state funds

Srinagar, Nov 16 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir Vigilance Organisation today charge-sheeted two officials for misappropriating Rs 36.31 lakh state funds released under various social security schemes.

A vigilance spokesman said the charge-sheet was produced in the court of Special Judge Anti-Corruption, Kashmir against Ms Bismillah Sofi, then posted as Tehsil Social Welfare Officer, Sopore and Riyaz Ahmad Rather, a Junior Assistant, for misappropriating Rs 36.31 lakh released by the state government under the National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS) and the Integrated Social Security Scheme (ISSS).

He said a case was registered on August 16, 2004 and preliminary verifications conducted by the Vigilance Organisation prima facie established that the two accused officials had fabricated records and misappropriated a large sum of government money released under various social security schemes.

During the course of investigations, it was revealed that an amount of Rs 92.32 lakh was kept at the disposal of the Tehsil Social Welfare Officer, Sopore for distribution among various categories of beneficiaries between January 1 to March 30, 2003.

The money was kept in an official account in the Kamraz Rural Bank at its branch in Krankshuan, Sopore. The entire amount was shown as having been withdrawn and disbursed among beneficiaries through postal money orders under the NOAPS and the ISSS schemes.

The spokesman said the investigations established that only Rs 56 lakh were actually disbursed while the remaining Rs 36.31 lakh were found to have been misappropriated by the two accused officials.

The amount included Rs 1.39 lakh returned undelivered by the post office authorities and Rs 14.65 lakh shown to have been disbursed through fraudulent and fake money orders and Rs 16 lakh in cash.

UNI AG YSS Mir RK1932