Probe ordered in irregularities in crop insurance scheme

Patna, Mar 22 (UNI) Amid heated exchange between the treasury benches and opposition members in the state assembly over financial irregualrities in the crop insurance scheme, the Speaker ordered for removal of the Managing Director of Khagaria cooperative bank with immediate effect and constituted a secretary level probe with a directive for submitting the report within a month.

Intervening into the reply of the state cooperative minister Mr Ramji Rshi Deo to a starred question of Ms Poonam Devi, speaker Udai Narayan Choudhry directed the secretary of the Cooperative department to probe into the financial irregularities in the scheme.

Through her short noticed question Ms Poonam Devi had drew the attention of the House towards deduction of ten to 20 per cent of the fund given to the farmers under the scheme by the cooperative bank in Khagaria. She said 13 complaints were made alone in Khagaria in this connection but no action was taken by the concerned authorities.

She further stated that apart from curtailment in the fund released under the scheme, the loans were also not being distributed among the farmers there.

The other members of the ruling party too joined Ms Poonam Devi on the issue saying that such financial irregularity was in practice all over the state and curtailment was being made even in the loans given to the farmers.

Ms Renu Devi said such practice should be stopped in the interest of the farmers and in the era of sushashan (good governance) and development.

The members demanded for constitution of the committee of the House to probe into the irregularities, the speaker, however, finally directed the cooperative secretary to inquire into the matter.

UNI