Unutilised funds of SSA misused

Hyderabad, Apr 6 (UNI) More than Rs 10 crore of unutilised funds of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), a programme for universalisation of elementary education sponsored by the Central government, relating to District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) were found misused and transferred from the bank accounts in Andhra Pradesh.

Talking to newspersons here, city police Commissioner Balvinder Singh said the crime branch police had arrested a woman who was also one of the accused in the scam.

The police had earlier arrested the Junior Accounts Officer of the DPEP, V Subramanyam, who surrendered before the police five days after a criminal case was registered in connection with misappropriation of funds in the DEPEP, to the tune of Rs 7.4 crore.

He said Ms Sarasa Devi, who was running an advertisement agency, was arrested this morning and all her bank accounts along with those of Subramaniam, were sealed.

The Police Commissioner said the crime branch police were conducting searches on the houses of Subramanyam and Sarasa Devi. All property documents possessed by the two accused were recovered from their houses.

Investigation would find out involvement of any other persons in the scam. Ms Devi had close contacts with the officials of the SSA since several years and her ad agency used to prepare advertisements for the SSA scheme.

Both the accused used to draw money from the SSA accounts using their fake accounts in several banks in the city.

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